Nearly 30 acres of wild, free land that connects three well-known preserved parcels in Tiverton will be preserved forever under a new partnership between the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

DEM officials announced Tuesday that 27 acres of forestland in Tiverton that connect the Pocasset Ridge Conservation Area with the Pardon Gray Preserve and Weetamoo Woods has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy for $400,000, with support from the Thomas and Dorothy Ginty Memorial Endowment Fund, the Bafflin Foundation and individual donors.

DEM secured a conservation easement from the conservancy with $225,000 from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program through the Inflation Reduction Act. The property will be managed as an addition to the Pocasset Ridge Conservation Area.

The purchase continues a 25-year effort by local and state conservationists to preserve more than 1,600 acres of contiguous forest overlooking the Sakonnet River. Of those, the Pocasset Ridge is one of the jewels.

“Pocasset Ridge is truly exceptional, a classic example of the type of the diverse, mature forest that covered the Southern New England coast 400 years ago,” said John Berg, TNC’s Sakonnet landscape manager. “We’ve come such a long way toward conserving it for the future, but we still have more work to do, and not just for the wildlife, but for clean water, clean air and a healthy climate.”

“This high-priority acquisition was successful because of strong collaboration, support, and partnerships,” DEM director Terry Gray added. “DEM is grateful for the support of the U.S. Forest Service, along with TNC’s proactive dedication to protect this property, which enabled this conservation win for the people of Rhode Island and our environment.”

The Forest Legacy Program is administered by the U.S. Forest Service in partnership with state agencies to encourage the protection of important forest lands. Created by Congress in 1990, the Forest Legacy Program has conserved over 3 million acres of forestland in 53 states and territories. These “Legacy” forests protect water quality and provide wildlife habitat, forest products, opportunities for recreation and other public benefits.