Yawgoo Pond Trail Boardwalk - RI

Project Title: Yawgoo Pond Trail Boardwalk

Project Description: The grant would be used to enhance the temporarily closed Yawgoo Pond Trail, (https://sklt.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Yawgoo-9.2020.pdf) which is situated on the shores of the eponymous lightly developed mesotrophic pond and features a rare coastal plain pond shore plant community. The Yawgoo Pond conservation area has a wilderness feel, despite its proximity to a state highway, and totals 113 permanently protected acres (South Kingstown Plats 8:33, 8:17, 8:6, and 8:8). The trail has been closed since the Winter of 2021 due to a property boundary dispute with our neighbor. Their development has unfortunately severed public access through the upland. To retain our singular public access to this popular 2 mi. hiking trail, our project would necessarily re-route approximately 850' of trail into a wetland shrub-swamp. Best practices must be utilized per SKLT and RI DEM to protect sensitive wetland plants and soils. Approximately 700' of the trail will have to be an elevated boardwalk due to the swamp conditions.

Company/Organization/Agency Submitting Contract: South Kingstown Land Trust

Primary Contact for Contract Information: Tyler Maikath

Email Address: tyler.maikath@sklt.org

Closest City to Project: South Kingstown

State/Province/Region: RI

Application Deadline: 1/7/2021

Additional Project Bid Information: The South Kingstown Land Trust (SKLT), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded as private trust in 1983, and later incorporated as a private nonprofit corporation in 1999, to conserve the natural resources of the Town of South Kingstown through the preservation and stewardship of open space. Since its inception, SKLT has grown into one of the leaders in its field in Rhode Island, protecting more than 2,900 acres of open space on 173 properties containing farms, forest land, ponds, rivers and streams, ground water aquifers and recharge areas, scenic view sheds, and historical resources. The SKLT is a nationally accredited land trust by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, first achieving accreditation in 2016. We were recently awarded re-accreditation in 2021. SKLT currently has over 1,100 active private donors, a volunteer board of trustees including a 5-person executive committee, and a professional staff of 4 who carry out SKLT’s mission of land protection, land management, and organizational development. SKLT maintains popular 10 public hiking trails totaling over 14 miles.

Date Submitted to PTBA: 11/18/2021