Diseased trees, untended bushes and loose gravel were all that graced Blackstone Boulevard's median strip until last year, when a group of environmentally savvy citizens united to refurbish it, along with other Providence green spaces. The Friends of Blackstone Park, in conjunction with Citywide Green, a group comprised of Providence citizens and public officials who are committed to preserving the city's natural ecology, have planted hundreds of trees and bushes in addition to repairing the walking path that spans the boulevard's 1.7-mile length.
Funds were last appropriated for the area's upkeep in the late 1990s. Recently, the Providence City Council introduced legislation to provide long-term funding for the maintenance of everything green in the city.
Providence Councilwoman Rita Williams, who represents Ward 2, has championed the initiative, which if passed will establish a Providence Con-servation Commission. Out of the 39 Rhode Island municipalities, Providence is one of only nine without such a commission. If the bill is passed, Williams anticipates the cost to be negligible, since volunteers will fill most of the positions.
"When you have a lot of community development, they tend to destroy parks," Williams said. "Now the city is surrounded by green space, which is wonderful for a city."
While approval for the legislation is pending, that has not prevented Citywide Green and other environmental advocacy groups in Providence from implementing an extensive revitalization project that includes Blackstone Park, Neutaconkanut Hill and Canada Pond. The group has also organized a substantial initiative to purify the Woonasquatucket River, which was contaminated after years of factory waste dumping.
"It's an important safeguard to look at what's happening with development and consider the natural resources," said Jenny Pereira, a representative of Citywide Green and executive director of the Woonasquatucket River Waterside Council. "I think people have been concerned about the parks for a while. It's such an important feature for any city, but there aren't enough resources right now to do the job that needs to be done."
Establishing a Conservation Commission, Pereira said, would give Citywide Green the leverage necessary to fully revitalize Providence parks. Williams expects that Blackstone Park will be more attractive to residents after the commission is formed and functional, she said.
The bill must pass through the Ordinance Committee, and then the council must arrive at a consensus before it is referred to the mayor, Williams said. It may take several months for the commission to be established, but Williams is optimistic that there will be no opposition.
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Steven Hamburg believes the creation of the commission could be valuable. "Our forest cover has steadily declined over the last couple of decades, and we need to focus more on increasing the environmental considerations of projects and ongoing activities," he said. Currently, Hamburg said, there are no regulations regarding the width of sidewalks, and consequently Providence road workers pour more concrete than necessary. This increases runoff and decreases the water quality, as well as impedes the growth of street trees.
"The Conservation Com-mission, if it were involved in looking at those types of activities, can point out to the city how we can improve the environment and reduce cost. But if it's just another group that has no influence, then it's not worth the effort," Hamburg said.
Williams hopes that the commission will not be an impotent organization, and is looking to Brown for volunteers as well as to the community at large. "There are ways Brown can get involved, and that's something that will have to be explored," she said.
