To the editor:

Growing up in rural Middletown in the 1940s and 50s was a child’s delight. We had fields and farms to explore, animals to watch and sometimes chase (or be chased by), very little traffic, and beautiful seashore settings.

Later, when my wife and I brought our family back to Rhode Island, we chose to settle in Portsmouth, which in the early 1970s still held many of those same attractions. But, time has moved on and Aquidneck Island has been a locus of housing and commercial development for the past 35-plus years, bringing traffic, infrastructure overload and stress on our water, wastewater and energy distribution resources.

One organization arose during this period, the Aquidneck Land Trust (ALT), with a mission to preserve as much of our small island’s natural resources as possible by placing them in a non-development status in perpetuity. They have accomplished much, conserving over 2,550 acres since their founding in 1990. A centerpiece of their work is the Center Island Greenway, stretching from Portsmouth well into Middletown, with an eventual goal of preserving a core of open space and wildlife/bird habitat throughout our island community.

They are currently seeking to preserve a key parcel of land in the Greenway, Spruce Acres Farm, a 23-acre site that straddles the Middletown/Portsmouth line and is part of the watershed for Sisson’s Pond, one of the local sources of water for our island community. 

There is an active fund-raising effort underway to raise the $2.3 million needed by the end of March to make this purchase. Generous donors have already given over $600,000 to this effort, and the Rhode Island Agricultural Lands Preservation Commission has pledged $300.000. The Town of Middletown has approved a conditional $300,000 grant, and ALT is working hard to raise the remaining funds.

Many individuals, businesses and philanthropic organizations have already contributed to this wonderful effort. I ask that readers consider providing their own support to ALT for this acquisition. For more information or to make a donation go to www.ailt.org/spruceacres, or call 401/849-2779.

Let us try to preserve as much of the rural character of our island as we can while such properties are still free of development.

J. Timothy O’Reilly

627 Black Point Farm

Portsmouth