Outdoors in RI: Cluck! Woof! Trout stocking. Hunting, 2A in MA. Hurricane Helene help now.

Egg-citing times are ahead for Johnson & Wales University. TODAY, October 4, JWU will officially dedicate the newest addition to the Harborside Campus: a chicken coop that will offer foster multidisciplinary learning and add to the campus’s already robust sustainability initiatives. 

The nearly two dozen hens that now call JWU home were hatched on campus in July and consist of three breeds: Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock, and “Black Star.” The enclosure will bring together students from various programs, including animal science and sustainable food systems students who will care for the hens, and design students who are creating signage for the enclosure. 

Eggs produced by the hens will initially be used for research involving animal science, sustainability, culinary nutrition, and product development students. The plan is to eventually use them for consumption in culinary classes, following approval from the Rhode Island Department of Health to ensure proper standards of washing and sanitization. 

Name that Chicken!

Over the past month, students, faculty, and staff submitted and voted for names for the chicken coop. The winner, chosen from the top contenders of The Hen Den, Henway Park, Coop-a-Cabana, and the Center for Culinary Egg-cellence, will be announced at the ribbon cutting celebration.

The ribbon cutting is at 10:30am this morning and the Chicken Coop is located outside the Harborside Academic Center, northwest corner facing the Friedman Center at 320 Harborside Blvd, in Cranston.

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More Animal News: Potter League for Animals helping post-Hurricane Helene

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Potter League for Animals is stepping in to support its longtime partner, the Aiken County Animal Shelter in South Carolina, which remains without power and will be for the foreseeable future. To help alleviate the shelter’s current challenges, the Friends of the Animal Shelter – Aiken County (FOTAS), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization, transported dozens of dogs to the Potter League in Rhode Island this week.

In addition to this transport, FOTAS is working to deliver pet food and other essential supplies to local residents affected by the storm. Due to gas shortages, many people are unable to access much-needed resources, including those for their pets. These efforts are critical in providing relief to both animals and their caretakers during this challenging time. 

“The devastation from Hurricane Helene has hit the Aiken County Animal Shelter especially hard, and we’re doing everything we can to support them during this challenging time. These dogs are just a part of the story – many more animals and people still need our help,” said Brad Shear, Potter League CEO. “We’re incredibly proud of our long-standing partnership with Aiken County Animal Shelter, and now more than ever, they need our support.” 

The Potter League and FOTAS have been longtime partners, working together in times of crisis to ensure animals receive the care and attention they deserve. The dogs arriving in Rhode Island will receive necessary medical care, vaccinations, and behavioral assessments before becoming available for adoption. 

For those looking to help, contact the Potter League for Animals, located in Middletown with other facilities in Warwick and Riverside – call 401-846-8276. 

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Goodbye, Erna

West Place Animal Sanctuary’s longest-tenured rescue animal has passed away. Erna, a 17½-year-old Crested Pekin Duck who was originally rescued in 2007, became the matriarch of West Place and an inspiration to all who knew her.

She was the last survivor of the original group of rescue animals West Place, located in Tiverton, RI, took in when the nonprofit organization opened its doors to farm animals more than 17 years ago. Erna is believed to be the oldest such Duck in Rhode Island, and perhaps the United States.

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DEM Stocking 25 Waterways with Brook and Rainbow Trout

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is conducting fall trout stocking in selected areas in advance of the upcoming holiday weekend, beginning TODAY, Friday, Oct. 4, and continuing through Thursday, Oct. 10. DEM is not stocking some ponds and lakes that it stocked in previous years due to cyanobacteria alerts. 

The following areas will be stocked with Rainbow and Brook trout:

Daily stocking updates will be available each afternoon. Please visit DEM’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s (DFW) Facebook Page, visit www.dem.ri.gov/fishing, or call 401-789-0281 or 401-539-0019 for more information on stocking.

A 2024 fishing license is required for anglers 15 years of age and older and a Trout Conservation Stamp is required to keep or possess trout. Trout stamps are not required for persons possessing trout taken from a lake or pond that shares a border with Rhode Island. Fishing licenses can be purchased online on DEM’s Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO) portal. DEM would like to remind anglers of following changes in the Freshwater Regulations:

o  The daily creel and possession limit for trout and/or salmon is five fish, of which only two can be salmon, from April 13, 2024, through Nov. 30, 2024; and two trout and/or salmon, of which only two can be salmon from Dec. 1, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025.  
o  The creel and possession limit for trout taken in the Wood River, between RT. 165 Check Station and Barberville Dam at Arcadia Road, is two fish from the second Saturday in May through the last day of Feb. That portion of the Falls River, from the bridge at Austin Farm Road to the bridge at Brook Trail, is a catch and release area. 
o  The portion of the confluence of the Beaver River and the Pawcatuck River, upstream to New London Turnpike, is designated as a catch and release area and is no longer stocked.
o  The daily creel limit for landlocked Atlantic Salmon is two fish per day, statewide until Feb. 28, 2025, which must be part of the overall five fish limit for trout and salmon.
o  There is an 8-inch minimum size for any trout caught in any state waters. The minimum size limit for domestic (landlocked) Atlantic salmon is 11 inches.

The following activities are prohibited: 

The use of external felt soled waders or boots or those soled with any natural or synthetic porous material capable of absorbing water in any freshwaters in Rhode Island is strictly prohibited. This includes any waters shared with adjacent states in which Rhode Island fishing regulations apply.It is strictly prohibited to enter or exit a state boat ramp with any vegetation attached to any type of boats, motors, boat trailers, or any other conveyance or equipment in order to curtail the spread of invasive aquatic plants or invertebrates. Information about stocked freshwaters, size and creel limits for all freshwater fish species is available in the 2024-2025 Freshwater Fishing Abstract, or by calling DEM’s Great Swamp Field Office at 401-789-0281, or the DEM’s Aquatic Resource Education office at 401-539-0019. 

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2nd Amendment – Updates from Massachusetts

Governor Healey’s Executive Action

You may have heard that Gov. Healey intends to move, by Executive Order, for new gun regulations in Massachusetts. Using her executive power, Healey wants to usher the changes onto the books before they were to officially take effect later this month.

From MassLive: “The bill, the product of complex negotiations between the majority-Democrat House and Senate strengthens the state’s existing assault weapons ban; expands its “red flag” law language, and cracks down on ghost guns — among other changes.”

Advocates, led by a Cape Cod gunshop owner, have worked diligently on a petition which, if enough signatures are gathered, would demand that the “new law” be put on the ballot. Advocates say that the restrictions on long guns, could put some shops out of business, by taking away their top source of sales and profit. The Executive Action by the Governor was designed to stop the petition action in its tracks, which it did, though it can resurface in two years.

According to the Boston Globe, “This gun safety law bans ghost guns, strengthens the Extreme Risk Protection Order statute to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others, and invests in violence prevention programs,” Healey said in a statement. “It is important that these measures go into effect without delay.”

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Hunting in Massachusetts?

“As noted in a recent American Hunter article, Massachusetts Hunters Face Anti-Gun Law This Fall, there are new legal risks for those looking to hunt in the Bay State. 

Massachusetts HB 4885, “An Act Modernizing Gun Laws,” that went into effect August 1st, includes a slew of new restrictions for hunters, including but not limited to: restrictions on the type of firearms and magazines allowed, requirements for all hunters to obtain a firearm identification card (FID), and age requirements. 

Additionally, HB 4885 prohibits nonresidents from hunting in Massachusetts unless they possess an identification card/permit that is substantially similar to the FIDs issued in Massachusetts. This requirement creates an enormous hurdle for nonresident hunters, as Massachusetts’ burdensome permitting process is unique to the state, leaving nonresident hunters vulnerable to violating state law. 

HB 4885 goes beyond traditional centerfire hunting rifles and creates new rules and requirements for antique firearms and muzzleloaders. As noted by Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL), “possession of black powder (or substitutes), priming caps, musket balls, mini-balls, etc. would require an LTC or FID to purchase and possess. It appears that a non-licensed individual can own the gun, but not anything that would make it fire.”

Before you load up your truck for the Bay State this hunting season, double-check to make sure you will not be ensnared by Governor Maura Healey’s radical gun control law. For a complete analysis of the new law, click HERE.” – TY to the Massachusetts NRA for this update!

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Hurricane Helene – locked and loaded

We’ve all watched with horror at the damage and devastation going on in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida. Beyond what was caused by rain, wind and floods, there is the disaster unfolding one person to another. People who are desperate for food, shelter, gas, water, transportation are turning to one another for help. But, for some, that desperation has turned into theft and violence. While having firearms in this area is commonplace due to tradition and protection from wildlife, people are being told to keep their firearms by their side – locked and loaded. To those desperate, it will be a deterrant. To those who inevitably use natural disasters as an opportunity to commit crime, it will be more than that.

We send prayers and strength to this area of the United States. If you’d like to support relief efforts, we’ll make our unscientific, but passionate recommendations for these three:

Samaritan’s Purse https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Cajun Navy Relief – https://www.cajunnavyrelief.com/

World Central Kitchen – https://wck.org/

Mercy Chefs – https://mercychefs.com/disaster-relief