H 7916Tourism & Recreation

Parks and Recreational Areas - General Provisions

This bill allows people to harvest wild mushrooms from state parks and forests for their own personal use.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Environment and Natural Resources

Plain-English Summary

This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Management to establish regulations that allow individuals to forage for wild mushrooms in state parks, forests, and recreational areas. The bill specifies that the harvesting of mushrooms is permitted for personal use only. Furthermore, the legislation explicitly states that the state assumes no liability for any person who gathers these mushrooms, protecting the government from legal action should a forager suffer harm, such as poisoning, from the mushrooms they collect.

For younger readers

This new law allows people to pick wild mushrooms found in state parks and forests. Before this, taking things from these parks might not have been allowed. The people in charge of the parks will make a list of safety rules that pickers must follow. The law also says that if someone picks a mushroom and gets sick from eating it, the state government is not responsible and cannot be blamed. This is only for people who want to eat the mushrooms themselves, not for people who want to sell them.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

ForagersDepartment of Environmental ManagementState Park VisitorsHikersNature Enthusiasts

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes food sovereignty and sustainable living by allowing residents to access natural, free food sources found on public lands.
Encourages outdoor recreation and a deeper connection to nature, potentially fostering greater environmental stewardship among the public.
Decriminalizes a low-impact activity, ensuring that individuals are not penalized or fined for gathering food for personal consumption.
Could lead to ecological damage or the depletion of rare fungal species if harvesting is not strictly monitored and regulated.
The broad liability waiver removes the state's responsibility to provide adequate warnings or education about poisonous species, potentially endangering public health.
May require the diversion of limited conservation resources toward regulating mushroom picking rather than protecting vulnerable habitats.

For Conservatives

Expands individual freedom by removing government restrictions on the use of public lands for personal gathering.
Encourages self-reliance and the practice of traditional skills, allowing citizens to provide for themselves without government assistance.
Includes strong liability protections that shield the state and taxpayers from frivolous lawsuits resulting from individual choices.
Grants broad regulatory authority to an unelected administrative agency (DEM) to create and enforce new rules without specific legislative oversight.
Could lead to the degradation of public property that taxpayers fund, if foragers trample vegetation or damage the landscape.
Might encourage misuse of public lands or trespassing on adjacent private properties under the guise of foraging activities.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 12 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 32-1 of the General Laws entitled "General Provisions" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 32-1-23. Taking of mushrooms from state parks, recreational areas, and forests permitted.

(a) The director of the department of environmental management ("director") shall promulgate, adopt, and enforce any and all rules and regulations deemed necessary to authorize any person to take mushrooms from any lands under the control of the director, provided such taking is for personal use only. The state shall have no liability to any person or the heirs or assigns of any such person who engages in the taking of mushrooms from any lands under the control of the director.

(b) Pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any person lawfully using or present on the premises of any state park, recreational area, forest or public land under the control or management of the director, may collect and harvest wild mushrooms found growing thereon for personal use.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.