WEST GREENWICH – Sixty-nine acres of forestland adjoining the Big River Wildlife Management Area have gained permanent protection with the purchase of a conservation easement through the federal Forest Legacy program, state officials said. The property, off the New London Turnpike, includes the circa 1760 homestead known locally as Harrington House.

A portion of the easement’s value was donated by property owners Maria and Ernest Bugnet. The remainder was paid by the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Division of Forest Environment, using $9,000 in state open-space bond funds and $591,000 in Forest Legacy money from the U.S. Forest Service.

The Bugnets will continue to manage the property, guided by a written plan approved by the Division of Forest Environment. Besides enhancing the Big River preserve, the easement’s purchase will help protect the local drinking water supply, defend fish and wildlife habitat, preserve the region’s rural character and protect the historic homestead, the DEM said.

The parcel, an active tree farm since 1970, also has been used by the R.I. Forest Conservators as part of their wood demonstration project, the agency said. Under the new easement, public access will continue to be allowed for scientific and forest-management education programs.

Managed forests are vital not only as green and open space but also to the economy, said Forest Environment chief Cathy Sparks, yet they are subject to the same development pressures as farmlands.

Threats include both direct development and fragmentation of ownership, which reduces the likelihood of proper stewardship, she added. Such “significantly fragmented” forestland – mostly small, privately-owned parcels – cover more than half the state, Sparks said in a statement.

The Division of Forest Environment manages state-owned rural forests that cover 40,000 acres, or about 6 percent of Rhode Island’s total land area.

It also administers the state’s Forest Legacy program, which promotes and protects traditional forests, seeking to prevent their conversion to non-forest uses. To date, Rhode Island has received more than $4 million in federal Forest Legacy grants, and used them to protect nearly 2,000 acres of forestland.

The R.I. Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Forest Environment manages 40,000 acres of state forestland, coordinates the state forest-fire protection plan, works with cities and towns to promote urban tree health and develops forest and wildlife management plans for private landowners. It also manages the George Washington Campground, the Reynolds Horseman’s Area and Campground, two beaches and a snowmobile and cross-country skiing program. To learn more, visit www.dem.ri.gov.