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Outdoors in RI: Public space improvements, RI least vulnerable to natural disasters, 2A, more…

A lot happening in Rhode Island to enhance our outdoor experience, and maintain and improve it for future generations.

Placemaking grants

Placemaking – Outdoor and Public Space Capital Improvements – CommerceRI allocated over $2M for “placemaking” awards, which include sculptures and funds for outdoor fairs and festivals. But, among them are two specific outdoor and public space capital improvement projects – they are:

Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council | $68,000 | To support constructing and installing six (6) sculpture foundations, three (3) RainKeep sculptures, and three (3) metal sculptures throughout the Woonasquatucket River watershed area in Providence to increase foot traffic, remove blight, and attract commerce to the surrounding community. 

New Shoreham Tourism Council | $81,900 | To support creating a mobile greenway guide to Block Island walking trails in 2025.

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Plane Crash

7 members of a hunting team returning from a trip with the Fowl Plains guide group were lost on the American Airlines crash. The AP reports: “Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service. The Fowl Plains team said they had grown close to the hunters on board the flight over the years and considered them to be family members. The post doesn’t identify the hunters by name, but it says they had spent the past week on a guided hunt, “laughing, talking about our families and sharing memories.”

“Heartbroken is an understatement,” the company said.

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Rhode Island least vulnerable state to natural disasters

Dan Christensen, CEO at DJC Law commented on the recent study done by their law firm, surveying all states to assess vulnerability to natural disasters, particularly wildfires.

“While these states are among the safest in terms of natural disaster risks, it’s still important to stay prepared. Recent events, such as the wildfires in California, demonstrate how natural disasters can cause significant destruction. Ensuring that emergency preparedness plans are in place and that communities are educated on how to respond can help mitigate the impact when such events occur.”

  • Rhode Island is the least vulnerable state to natural disasters, having experienced no flooding between 2010 and 2025.
  • Being the only U.S. state to report no wildfires in 2021, Delaware ranks second for the lowest risk of natural disasters.
  • Connecticut ranks as the third state to move to for staying far from natural disasters, with only one tornado reported in 2022 and two in 2023.

A new study by DJC Law examines U.S. states with the lowest natural disaster risk, analyzing key factors such as the frequency of wildfires, tornadoes, and floods. Data was sourced from governmental reports, including historical records of wildfires, tornado occurrences, and flood events, to calculate the likelihood of each disaster type in every state. These probabilities were then combined to determine the overall natural disaster risk for each state, with higher probabilities indicating greater vulnerability.

StateFuture wildfire probabilityFuture tornado probability Future flood probabilityLikelihood of natural disasters
Rhode Island0.08%0.03%0.00%0.11%
Delaware0.07%0.09%0.00%0.16%
Connecticut0.24%0.19%0.00%0.43%
Hawaii0.04%0.00%1.37%1.41%
New Hampshire0.24%0.11%1.37%1.72%
New Jersey1.74%0.27%0.00%2.01%
Nevada1.02%0.13%0.91%2.06%
Maryland0.19%0.51%1.37%2.07%
Maine0.88%0.20%1.37%2.45%
Massachusetts1.79%0.24%0.46%2.49%

*See the full study here.

Top 10 state details:

Rhode Island ranks as the least vulnerable state to natural disasters, with the lowest likelihood of such events occurring in the future at 0.11%. The state reported no cases of flooding between 2010 and 2025. Over a 16-year period, only seven tornadoes were recorded, resulting in a minimal probability of 0.03% for tornadoes in the coming years.

Delaware follows as the second state with the lowest risk of natural disasters, with a 0.16% probability of wildfires, tornadoes, or floods occurring in the future. Delaware was the only U.S. state to report no wildfires in 2021. The state experienced only 19 tornadoes between 2008 and 2023, resulting in a low likelihood of 0.09% for tornadoes in the coming years.

Connecticut ranks as the third state to move to for staying far from natural disasters, with a 0.19% likelihood of tornadoes occurring in the future. The state has seen rare occurrences of tornadoes in recent years, with one case reported in 2022 and two in 2023. Like Rhode Island and Delaware, Connecticut is also a safe haven from floods, with no flood cases recorded between 2010 and 2025.

Hawaii ranks as the fourth least impacted state by natural disasters, with a 1.41% probability of such events occurring in the future. It is one of the states that did not experience any tornadoes during the 16-year period. Hawaii also faced the least number of wildfires between 2010 and 2022, making the probability of experiencing wildfires in the upcoming years minimal, at 0.04%.

New Hampshire ranks as the fifth state where people are least likely to experience a natural disaster. Similar to Hawaii, it faced only three flood events between 2010 and 2025, resulting in a 1.37% likelihood of floods occurring in the future. Additionally, the state recorded 23 tornadoes over the 16-year period, leading to a 0.11% probability of tornadoes in the coming years.

New Jersey ranks as the sixth state with the lowest risk of natural disasters, with forecasted probabilities of 1.73% for wildfires and 0.27% for tornadoes in the future. Similar to the top three safest states on the list, the state recorded no flood cases between 2010 and 2025.

Nevada ranks as the seventh state with the lowest vulnerability to natural disasters, with a 2.06% likelihood of such events occurring in the future. Like New Hampshire, the state has the lowest probability of tornadoes among all types of natural disasters. Additionally, Nevada recorded only two flood incidents from 2010 to 2025, contributing to its position on the list.

Maryland is the eighth safest state for natural disaster risk, with a 2.07% likelihood of such events occurring in the coming years. It recorded only three flood events between 2010 and 2025, and the probability of wildfire occurrence in the state is as low as 0.19%.

Maine is the ninth least impacted state by natural disasters, with 42 tornadoes recorded over a 16-year period – significantly lower compared to other states in the U.S. Similar to Maryland, the state experienced only three major floods between 2010 and 2025.

Massachusetts rounds out the list of states with the lowest risk of natural disasters, with a 2.49% chance of such events occurring in the future. It is one of the few states that did not experience tornadoes in 2022. Additionally, only one flood was recorded between 2010 and 2025, resulting in a low 0.46% probability of floods occurring in the state.

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Mark Your Calendars! Fee Free Days in 2025 – US Department of the Interior

The Department of the Interior works to ensure that everyone, no matter their zip code, can access and enjoy the benefits of green spaces and our public lands. With at least one Interior managed site in every state and most metropolitan areas there are many opportunities to get outdoors. 

There are eight fee free days offered in 2025. You can also use an interagency public lands pass for access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites. Fee free days offer an opportunity to visit a public lands site or national park that normally charges an entrance fee. Each fee free day commemorates a significant date to celebrate the public lands that the Department manages.  

Coming up:

April 19 (First Day of National Park Week)  

June 19 (Juneteenth National Independence Day)  

July 16 (Bureau of Land Management’s birthday)  

August 4 (Great American Outdoors Day)  

September 27 (National Public Lands Day)  

October 12 (first Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week)  

November 11 (Veterans Day)  

FREE PASSES for other times:

If you plan on visiting multiple sites this year, we recommend checking out The America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series. The public lands pass series includes several options that provide access to National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service and US Army Corps of Engineers sites across the country. Proceeds from pass sales are used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services. 

In addition, there are affordable or free pass options for seniors aged 62 or older, 4th grade students, current military and dependents, Gold Star families and veterans, individuals with permanent disabilities and volunteers with more than 250 hours. 

Visit the USGS Online Store to explore and select your pass options. Please consider the start date of your trip and factor in a minimum of 3 weeks to allow for processing and shipment of the pass. 

If you would like to get your pass in-person, please search the list of  Places to Get Interagency Passes. You can call or go to Roger Williams National Memorial in downtown Providence, too – (401) 521-7266
Passes Available: Access Pass, Fourth Grade Pass, Military Pass 

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Executive Order has Interior Department beginning to restore historic names of monuments and locations

Here’s what’s happening to rename or name US historic places: In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.

As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley. These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets. 

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.  

Gulf of America 

The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the most vital assets in the Nation’s history and economy. Spanning over 1,700 miles of U.S. coastline and encompassing nearly 160 million acres, the Gulf has been a critical artery for America’s trade, energy production, and maritime industries. 

From its rich fisheries, which drive local economies, to its vast reserves of oil and natural gas that have fueled innovation and prosperity, the Gulf of America has consistently been a cornerstone of the Nation’s growth. Its ports rank among the largest and most impressive in the world, connecting American goods to global markets. Recognizing the Gulf’s enduring contributions to the economic strength and vitality of the United States, President Trump’s directive affirms its central importance to the Nation by officially renaming it the Gulf of America. 

Both Google Maps and the National Weather Service have announced they will accommodate the name change once the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) updates its files.

Mount McKinley 

Mount McKinley, North America’s highest peak, stands as a monument to the strength and determination of President William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. President McKinley heroically led the Nation to victory in the Spanish-American War, fostering an era of rapid economic growth and territorial gains for the Nation. Tragically assassinated while in office, President McKinley’s leadership and sacrifice remain a testament to American resilience and success. 

In 1917, the country officially honored President McKinley through the naming of North America’s highest peak. Yet after nearly a century, President Obama’s administration, in 2015, stripped the McKinley name from federal nomenclature, an affront to President McKinley’s life, his achievements, and his sacrifice. The decision to return the peak to its historical name is a meaningful recognition of President McKinley’s enduring legacy. 

A Commitment to Legacy 

The Department of the Interior remains committed to upholding all aspects of President Trump’s executive order, ensuring that the names we use reflect the values, sacrifices, and accomplishments that define our Nation. 

We can expect other name changes to come in 2025.

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2A Update

A U.S. government ban on federally licensed firearms dealers selling handguns to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, a U.S. appeals court held on Thursday, citing recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings expanding gun rights. The ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked the first time a federal appeals court has held that the prohibition violated the right to keep and bear arms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.

Read the full ruling HERE.

Stay tuned for more 2A updates as cases move through the highest court systems.

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