DEM clashes with advocates over plan to thin 32 acres of trees

DEM clashes with advocates over plan to thin 32 acres of trees

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Some advocates are speaking out against the R.I. Department of Environmental Management's (DEM) plan to thin out 32 acres of land in the Great Swamp Management Area in South Kingstown. The DEM said the upcoming work is part of a restoration project to bring back habitat for the New England cottontail, a native species of rabbit whose populations have greatly declined due to habitat loss. The rabbits need dense brus…