We need your voice—now. The Vermont State House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry has agreed to hear testimony and vote on H.758, a bill to prohibit the sale and use of the most dangerous rodenticides in our state. Committee members need to hear from Vermonters now to know that there is strong public support for this bill.
H.758 would prohibit anticoagulant and other types of rodenticides, while still allowing limited use during legitimate agricultural, environmental, or public health emergencies. The bill also promotes safer, more effective approaches rooted in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Rodenticides poison far more than their intended targets. Wildlife that naturally regulate rodent populations—including owls, hawks, eagles, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, fisher, and lynx—are exposed when they consume contaminated prey.
Recent testing in Vermont reveals widespread exposure to rodenticides among wildlife.
Between 2018 and 2022, every fisher tested showed evidence of exposure. Bobcats are also being affected, with 20 of 29 tested in 2021–2022 and 31 of 44 tested in 2024–2025 found to have rodenticides in their systems.
Alarmingly, this issue extends to birds of prey as well—20% of raptors sampled in 2025–2026 tested positive for rodenticides, according to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (2026).
These poisons also put families at risk. Rodenticides are a leading cause of pet poisoning, with 637 Vermont pets exposed to rodenticides between 2020 and 2024 (ASPCA). Nearly 70% of human rodenticide exposures nationwide involve children under six.
TAKE ACTION!
Please call or email all members of the committee and urge them to support the rodenticide reform bill. Lawmakers are reviewing this legislation now, and hearing directly from constituents can make a critical difference.
CALL (802) 828-2228 for all members: You can use our sample script as a helpful guide.
EMAIL: If you prefer to email, our talking points and FAQs provide key information to strengthen your message. Your unique message is more powerful than a form email.
House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry:
(You may include all addresses in a single email.)
Rep. David Durfee (Chair)
Email: ddurfee@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. John L. Bartholomew (Vice Chair)
Email: jbartholomew@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. Richard Nelson (Ranking Member)
Email: rnelson@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun
Email: mboslun@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. Gregory “Greg” Burtt
Email: gburtt@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. Jed Lipsky (Clerk)
Email: jlipsky@leg.state.vt.us
Rep. John O’Brien
Email: jobrien@leg.state.vt.us
Every voice counts—especially right now. Together, we can protect Vermont’s wildlife, pets, children, and communities from toxic rodenticides.
Read our Rodenticide Fact Sheet and watch our Coyote Friendly Communities: Deadly Rodenticides video to learn more about rodenticides.
