Environment

While kicking off a push to install a network of 50 electric vehicle charging stations, Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced the state will replace much of its fleet with hybrid and electric vehicles. Chafee made the announcement at Roger Williams University, where the first charging station was unveiled.

Director of Administration Richard Licht said the program started this spring, and so far the state has replaced 30 gas-fueled vehicles with hybrids.  He notes that a waiver will be given to agencies, such as law enforcement, that can’t find a comparable substitute.

Two young falcons will be released back into the wild in Pawtucket this Saturday.  The two got away from their nest which sits atop Pawtucket City Hall. 

The Department of Environmental Management picked up two juvenile peregrine falcons that were found on the ground in Pawtucket last week.

The birds, one male and one female, are siblings, and about seven to eight weeks old.

Wildlife experts say juvenile falcons can often get away from their nests when learning to fly.

By the end of the summer Rhode Island will have more than 50 charging stations for electric cars. Even with the new charging stations the state will still lag behind its neighbors.

The first one comes online next week, and through the summer more than 50 more will pop up across the state. That’s fewer than the 60-plus in Connecticut and more than 100 charging stations in Massachusetts, said Al Dahlberg who helped craft the plan.

The Department of Environmental Management is asking Rhode Islanders to keep their eyes out for wild turkeys. The call is intended to track the health of the state’s turkey population.