Towns may appropriate sums of money for the purpose of acquiring certain lands to be set apart as town forests and may expend money for developing and planting those town forests and for the necessary nursery stock required for planting purposes, provided, that the expenditures shall be authorized by the town at a legal town meeting in accordance with law. Towns may also acquire, by gift or bequest, lands for town forests and may reclaim and plant those lands.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 32-3-8