Windswept Block Island sits 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island. Packed into its 21 square miles are some 17 beaches, 365 fresh water ponds, 2000 miles of stone walls and 32 miles of trails, together forming a unique natural and cultural landscape.

With just 1,000 year-round residents, it lays claim to having the smallest population in the smallest state in the union. The population swells each summer, when up to 15,000 seasonal visitors flock to the island and its pristine beaches. Over the past 30 years, however, improved ferry service and a booming second-home market has attracted increasing numbers of seasonal visitors and new residents. Anticipating such change, islanders responded with a major push for conservation, protecting some 40 per cent of the island as open space. As growth pressures continue to increase, islanders are grappling with how best to accommodate new development while protecting the island’s scenery and sense of place.

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