The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) serves as the chief steward of the state’s natural resources – from beautiful Narragansett Bay to our local waters and green spaces to the air we breathe. Our mission put simply is to protect, restore, and promote our environment to ensure Rhode Island remains a wonderful place to live, visit, and raise a family. We protect these precious resources through development and enforcement of environmental laws, and we strive to provide guidance to our many customers in complying with these laws. We work with our partners to restore our lands and waters, to conserve wildlife and marine resources, and to monitor environmental quality so we can build healthy, more resilient communities. We promote our natural resources – from our historic parks and beaches to our farms and delicious local food and seafood. We are focused on helping our state grow “green” and build desirable neighborhoods that offer ample space to recreate and connect with nature.