We can choose to protect birds of prey

[Roger Stephenson]

Posted with permission.

Owls and hawks are nesting now.  When an adult owl is poisoned by eating rodents poisoned by rodenticides placed outside of buildings and trash cans, the entire owl brood will die ... and we've just lost a new generation.

Tomorrow (9:10 am room 103 State House) the NH Senate will hear a bill that limits the sale of certain rodenticides to ordinary consumers: those poisons that contain chemicals referred to as "SGARs" - Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides.  

PLEASE voice your support of HB1676 online today or by tomorrow evening latest. Voices COUNT and your background as an avid birder COUNTS

• When a rodent ingests SGARS it dies slowly, making it an easy target for a predator (owls, hawks, cats, dogs...)
• Several NH Bald Eagles have been poisoned by SGARs in the past five years.   
• Veterinarians see SGARs in pet dogs and cats.
• SGARS were developed because they are MORE lethal and toxic to rodents, and MORE lethal to birds of prey
• Licensed, certified pest management companies with trained employees are the ONLY ones who should have access to SGARs, ASSUMING these companies embrace an integrated system of pest management. 

It's easy:

1. go to https://gc.nh.gov/remotecommittee/senate.aspx
2. Select March 31
3. Select the "Energy and Natural Resources Committee"
4. Select HB1676
5. Follow the next prompts, and there you go!  You can even prepare a short paragraph, like I will, and submit.

Of course, you can attend the hearing and eyeball the committee members!  (look at them from across the room using binoculars LOL)

NH Audubon has lots of background here  https://nhaudubon.org/policy/rodenticides/ 

Thanks in advance

Roger