Farmland is a large component of rural character in Rhode Island (see Agricultural Land Trends and Uses for more details). As shown by the landscape inventory, this type of created landscape strikes a chord in many people, and epitomizes what a good number of residents call "rural."

The following graphs show all farmland (protected and unprotected) intersected with "scenic" areas (defined as "noteworthy" or "distinct" landscapes, as described by the Rhode Island Landscape Inventory). A large portion of Rhode Island's farmland is considered "scenic." 18,149 acres of overlap exist between Rhode Island's scenic areas and farmland, which is 37% total farmland (see Data Gaps and Inconsistencies for more information) and much greater than the percentage of protected open space considered scenic (see Protected Open Space and Rural Character). What does this say about the state's valuation of rural character in its criteria for land preservation? (See Final Thoughts .)

Maps from RIGIS

For more information on the amount of farmland Rhode Island has protected in the past 10 years, as well as other data on farmland, click here.

Go to Final Thoughts.

(See Inconsistencies and Data Gaps, and Future Work.)

Rural Character Main/Open Space Main/RI Indicators