Please see this information from Save Arlington Wildlife on an upcoming state hearing and ways to show your support in-person, virtually, or by emailing the Joint Committee:
On Wednesday May 10th, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources is holding a hearing for a slate of pesticide bills, including several that impact rodenticides. This includes Arlington's Home Rule petition (H.804), which would allow our Town to ban SGARs on private property--the rodenticides that killed MK the eagle, her offspring C25, and our family of Great Horned Owls at Menotomy Rocks Park, and the local control bill (H.814/S.540), which would in turn empower local municipalities like Arlington to ban SGARs and other harmful pesticides from private property.
This is why we're holding a demonstration and rally on May 10th in front of the State House, starting @ 12 noon, an hour before the hearing. Here is the event page on Facebook:
:https://www.facebook.com/events/250255864055519/
I realize in the middle of a work day isn't ideal for many, but for those who may be free or can take a day off, this is basically the most critical day for these bills (the vast majority of bills die in Committees in MA). If folks can't make it in person, there is a virtual option to attend the hearing and offer live testimony that way as well (info and link also on the FB event page). For folks who can't attend at all, it's still critical and very helpful to get emails into the Committee.
People can email the Committee at: JointCommittee.Environment@malegislature.gov. A standard template email text is below to fill. Please personalize this email as legislators will mistake it for a form email if you do not put the emails in your own words. The template is a guiding post that also has the bill numbers and general info. The rest is up to you!
Dear Committee Members,
As a constituent of Massachusetts, I am strongly urging your Committee to pass H.814/S.540, which would empower local towns and cities to restrict harmful pesticides, including rodenticides. I support this because….
I am also asking your Committee to pass H.804, which would grant Arlington’s Home Rule petition to ban Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) from private properties. This is important to me because…
Finally, please pass H.825, otherwise known as the “Hawkins” bill, which would create a digital database to track these rodenticides. However, I am also asking the Committee Chair to add back in the language into the bill that would require pest control professionals to disclose the environmental impacts of SGARs and get signed consent from customers that they have been notified of the impacts prior to application. This is necessary because….
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
