Rhode Island Forest Conservators Organization (RIFCO) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the protection and wise use of Rhode Island's woodland resources.

We hope that you will find the information presented here useful,
and we encourage you to join us in helping to safeguard Rhode Island's woodlands.

FOREST FIRES & WATERSHED PROTECTION:
RIFCO’S SUMMER TWILIGHT SESSION
Thursday, August 7, 2025
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Arcadia Management Area
Hopkinton, RI

The RI Forest Conservator’s Organization is conducting its annual Summer Twilight Woods Walk at the site of a recent fuel break project in the Arcadia Management Area in Hopkinton, RI on Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 6 to 8 pm.  The evening hike will feature a walk along Blitzkrieg Trail off Arcadia Road for a look at how forest fire dangers can be reduced, which can lead to the protection of critical watershed resources. We will meet at the intersection of Arcadia Road and Blitzkrieg Trail, located south of the Wood River crossing.

According to Antonia Bryson, Chair of the Wood/Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Council, “As a designated National Wild and Scenic River, the Wood River has a high level of protection due to its biodiversity, fishery habitat, groundwater supplies, and recreational values.”

The work the RI DEM is doing to decrease wildfire risks is a part of that picture.  To create the shaded fuel break, a timber harvest operation along both sides of the road opened up the canopy to minimize the risk of a catastrophic fire condition, known as a crown fire, where flames can race out of control through the canopy, making its control extremely difficult, as the Exeter firefighters experienced along the Queen River in 2023.

We’ll be joined by Denise Poyer, former director of the Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association and now a volunteer steward with the Wild and Scenic River Council, and foresters from the RI DEM and from RIFCO who will help make the connection between healthy forests and healthy watersheds.  “How can we apply these practices on smaller properties throughout Rhode Island to lessen the fire risks and protect property, drinking water supplies, and wildlife habitat?”, Bill Fortune, RIFCO President, inquired.  “Can these fuel breaks, and their future maintenance, provide habitat diversity while decreasing those fire risks?”

The RIFCO Summer Twilight Walk is free of charge, and no registration is necessary.  For directions to the site, or if you have any questions about the event, visit our website (www.rifco.org), or contact us at info@rifco.org, or call us at (401) 568-3410. 

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