To The Editor:

I would like to thank all the supporters from Newtown that helped make Newtown the first town in CT to pass a policy banning rodenticides on municipal property. Thank you to our Board of Selectmen, all municipal department heads, the Conservation Commission, and the public for their support. Thank you for the letters to the editor, emails to the BOS, sharing our Facebook posts and those who attended the BOS meetings and spoke. This is a win for all of us! But mainly for our beautiful raptors and wildlife! Some folks have stated that this policy means nothing, but they are wrong! It is a start in the right direction for educating private citizens, businesses and more. Since Newtown took the lead in Connecticut, 15 towns across the state have reached out for help enacting their own policy, as well as two other states. Now comes the hard work of educating each other within our community regarding the horrors of rodenticide/rat poison and the alternatives. Please reach out to the Newtown Conservation Commission if you would like us to talk about this topic in your community groups, social groups, scout programs, HOAs, etc. Wildlife is for all of us, we should be mindful and respectful of ways we can help them survive.

Lisa Shirk

Newtown