TIVERTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Near Bears Den Road in Tiverton, 38.27 acres of Atlantic White Cedar forest is going to be preserved. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust announced the conservation of the forest on Friday. MORE: Pokanoket Tribe reclaims ancestral property from Brown in historic land transfer Atlantic White Cedar forests across the Atlantic seaboard have been extensively harvested and significantly reduced, according to the DEM. The "globally imperiled" forest species is also being threatened by rising sea levels. The forest is a part of the Pocasset Cedar Swamp and hold inherent cultural and sacred value to the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe. The first portion of the Pocasset Cedar Swamp to be conserved in Rhode Island. The land in green, labeled Bears Den, is now owned by the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust. (Courtesy Paul Jordan/ DEM) The land is now owned by the Pokanoket Land Trust which was established to try and protect ancestral tribal lands. “This land is significant as the ancestral heartbeat of the Pocasset Pokanoket people,” said Chief George Spring Buffalo, Chairman of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe of the Pokanoket Nation. “This is the site of King Phillip’s War, one of the most devastating conflicts to native people in American history," he added. "We will create trails, explore the lands, and discover what our ancestors left us there." DEM Director Terry Gray said he is excited to be working in partnership with the Pocasset Pokanoket Tribe. “Rhode Islanders are proud to be a diverse people, with diverse cultures and we celebrate our tribal communities," he said. The purchase of the land was funded largely by the DEM's Local Open Space Grant Program, made possible by voter-approved bond measures. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW