R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-36-2
Any city, subject to the approval of its council, or any town, subject to the approval of the town council and financial town meeting, if it has one, may by purchase, bequest, gift, grant, devise, or lease, acquire land and improvements on it, rights of way, water riparian and other rights, easements, conservation easements, scenic easements, privileges, present and future estates, and interests of any kind or description in real property; and may enter into covenants and agreements with owners of land and owners of interests in land to maintain, improve, protect, and limit the future use of or otherwise conserve open spaces; and may enter into agreements or compacts with any other city or town for any purposes; provided, if an open space is to be acquired by the expenditure of public funds, the city or town shall, prior to the expenditure, obtain from the department of environmental management a statement, in writing, that the open space is not desired by the department for open space purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-36-2