Records Relating to Commissioners of Inland Fis... | State Archives Catalog
Established by Rhode Island General Law in January 1870 through "An act for the encouraging and regulating inland fisheries." in which it states "Section 1. The governor shall appoint three commissioners who shall be known as Commissioners of Inland Fisheries).
In 1935 the Rhode Island Division of Fish and Game was established to replace the Commissioners of Shell Fisheries (established 1844), the Commissioners of Inland Fisheries (established 1870), and the Commissioners of Birds (established 1899). In 1965 the Division of Fish and Game was superseded by the Division of Conservation. In 1969 the Division of Conservation became the Division of Fish and Wildlife.