GREEN ECONOMY BONDS
Official ballot heading is "GREEN ECONOMY BONDS"; NCSL "Environmental and Recreational Projects Bond Measure".
fiscal_impact assembled from labeled cells of the handbook's cost table (values verbatim; table layout not reproducible as prose).
Rhode Island publishes no official pro/con arguments.
Ballot also carries the general question: "Shall the act passed by the General Assembly at the January 2026 session ... be approved ...?" (handbook p.8).
5. GREEN ECONOMY BONDS - $55,000,000 For environmental and recreational purposes, to be allocated as follows: a. Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development - $3,000,000 b. Facility Improvements - $12,000,000 c. Local Recreation Projects - $1,000,000 d. Marine Infrastructure Development - $1,000,000 e. Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund - $25,000,000 f. Narragansett Bay Watershed Restoration - $7,000,000 g. Agricultural Land Preservation Commission - $3,000,000 h. Open Space Program - $3,000,000
Your vote to “Approve” means that you support the State issuing $55,000,000 in general obligation bonds for environmental and recreational purposes.
Your vote to “Reject” means that you are against the State issuing $55,000,000 in general obligation bonds for environmental and recreational purposes.
Approval of this bond will provide fifty-five million dollars ($55,000,000) to allow the State to invest in improving the environment and public recreation facilities. The $55,000,000 will be allocated as outlined below to remediate contaminated brownfield sites, improve facilities at State parks, beaches, and campgrounds, support local outdoor recreation projects, develop marine infrastructure such as public boat launches, improve the state’s resilience to extreme weather and natural disasters, improve water quality in Narragansett Bay and the state’s watersheds, protect working farmland, and conserve open space. Specifically, approval of this question will provide: a) Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development - $3,000,000 for the cleanup of former industrial or commercial “brownfield” sites that may be contaminated by hazardous waste or other environmental pollution. Funding is used to provide matching grants to public, private, and/or non-profit entities for brownfield remediation projects that bring sites back into productive use, return them to tax rolls, create jobs, and revitalize neighborhoods. b) Facility Improvements - $12,000,000 for major capital improvements to facilities at State parks, beaches, and campgrounds. Facility improvements include new and upgraded visitor centers and restrooms, campsite enhancements, and infrastructure improvements. c) Local Recreation Projects - $1,000,000 for the Outdoor Recreation Grant Program to award matching grants to municipalities to develop or rehabilitate local public outdoor recreational facilities such as parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields, and to acquire land for public recreational facilities. 14 Rhode Island Voter Information Handbook 2026 d) Marine Infrastructure Development - $1,000,000 for improvements to public marine infrastructure such as boat launches and docks. e) Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund - $25,000,000 to provide financial assistance to local governmental units for restoring and/or improving resiliency of infrastructure, vulnerable coastal habitats, and restoring river and stream floodplains. These funds will be prioritized to leverage federal, state, and local funds to support local programs to improve community resiliency, stormwater abatement and public safety in the face of increased flooding, major storm events, and environmental degradation. f) Narragansett Bay Watershed Restoration - $7,000,000 for matching grants to public and private entities to complete projects that restore and protect the water quality, aquatic habitats, and the environmental sustainability of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island’s watersheds. The investments will advance work toward clean and safe waters for drinking water, shellfishing, recreation, commerce, and other valued uses. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, improved stormwater management, green infrastructure, riparian buffer enhancement, aquatic habitat restoration including control of aquatic invasive plants, nonpoint pollution abatement projects, and flood mitigation projects that reduce long-term flooding risks while enhancing ecological functioning of ecosystems. g) Agricultural Land Preservation Commission - $3,000,000 for the State to help protect Rhode Island’s working farms through the Agricultural Land Preservation Commission. h) Open Space Program - $3,000,000 for the State Land Acquisition Program allowing the State to acquire fee simple interest or conservation easements to open space, farmland, watershed, and recreation lands. The State would invest these funds in the preservation of iconic, scenic, and sensitive natural, agricultural, and recreational resources. The funds will be used to provide opportunities for Rhode Islanders and visitors to enjoy nature, hike, fish, and hunt. Funds are matched by federal, local, and non-profit sources, typically with each State dollar being matched by three other dollars.
How much money will be borrowed? $55,000,000; Total Costs $88,267,500. * Cost of issuance estimated at 0.4% of principal issued. ** Assumes an interest rate of 5%, with bonds amortized with level payments over 20 years.
Not published by the state
Not published by the state
Both columns use the same layout. Text is quoted from the official state guide. Views expressed belong to the argument authors.