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Conservation presenters urge Bethel to consider municipal ban on second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides
Summary
Presenters from the Newtown Conservation Commission told the Sustainable Bethel Commission that municipal bans on second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides protect raptors, pets and children, encouraged local outreach and cited a Rutgers study and rehabber testing as evidence; Bethel commissioners agreed to place the topic on a future agenda.
Presenters from the Newtown Conservation Commission asked the Sustainable Bethel Commission to consider a municipal ban on second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides, saying local policy could protect wildlife, pets and children while signaling community support to state lawmakers.
A presenter said Newtown adopted a municipal restriction in April and that the Arlington, Massachusetts, policy served as the model. The presenters described a campaign to get at least 10 towns to pass municipal bans before the 2027 legislative session and urged Bethel to treat municipal land restrictions as an early step.
“Second‑generation anticoagulants are killing our raptors,” a presenter said, arguing that predators that naturally control rodent populations are being lost and that bait boxes produce secondary poisoning in birds of prey. The presenters pointed to a Rutgers University study (released in May; the transcript does not specify the year) they said found high resistance among house mice in the Northeast, and to a wildlife rehabilitator who reported 17 of 18 recent raptors tested positive for rodenticide.
Commissioners asked whether a municipal ban could override state law. A presenter replied that state classification of some rodenticides as “restricted use” limits towns from banning private‑property or commercial pest‑company applications, but said a municipal ban can prohibit use on town‑owned properties and that local leadership can encourage broader change.
Presenters also described outreach steps Newtown used — inventorying municipal buildings, meeting with department directors, organizing public presentations and sending a letter from the first selectman ordering removal of bait boxes from town‑leased properties by Aug. 1 — and invited Bethel commissioners to review a sample municipal policy and supporting materials.
The commission did not vote on a policy at the meeting. Chair said the rodenticide item will be placed on the next agenda so commissioners can discuss next steps, including researching Bethel’s current policies and contacting relevant departments.
