In 2001, Narragansett Electric donated over 250 acres, known as "Rome Point," for open space protection and prevented this pristine waterfront property from development. The land was named the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve to honor a statesman who was especially instrumental in inspiring the protection of Rome Point. The Preserve, open to the public, significantly compounds the value of over 300 acres of already protected adjacent land. The protected ecosystems include cobblestone shoreline, coastal wetlands, transitional coastal habitat, upland forest, freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, plants listed as "species of concern" by the RI Natural Heritage Program, and just offshore the most highly populated haul out rocks for visiting seals.