Get Involved: 
Find out about how you, your organization, or your town can help, please contact us by email or by mail.

Take action: Please ask your Mayor, First Selectman or State Representative and State Senator, environment group or employer to endorse the goals of the Coalition by asking them to join the Coalition and contact Governor Rell asking for a coordinated multi agency state policy (Dept of Environmental Protection, Dept of Public Health and Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station agencies) based on the recommendations of state tick experts to reduce Lyme disease statewide. He or she can contact us through the web site for more information or you can contact the Coalition for a letter to take to your elected officials.

What does a "multi agency policy" mean? In diseases that are spread from animals to humans via an insect vector such as a mosquito or tick, the state health department has to work with the state dept of environmental protection (who regulate deer numbers) to coordinate a response to diseases such as rabies, West Nile, and Lyme Disease and the other tick borne diseases. CAES and DPH work together defining the extent of the tick and Lyme problem and the underlying science that ticks depend on overpopulated deer for breeding success and distribution. The DPH then explain this dependence to the public and ask DEP to help coordinate and facilitate a reduction in deer populations in critical residential areas back to the Lyme preventing levels of 40 years ago.

Join the CCELD:
The Coalition welcomes both municipal and non-municipal entities, such as Regional Councils of Government, individual towns, professional societies such as veterinary and medical associations, colleges or hospital departments, Lyme disease task forces and advocacy groups, environmental and conservation organizations such as Connecticut Audubon, as well as businesses and individuals. See our members page for a partial list of members. CCELD welcomes a wide diversity of members and supporters who share its goals of achieving statewide awareness of our options regarding Lyme eradication and restoration of a sustainable deer population.

Joining the Coalition signifies your general interest in and endorsement of the goal of achieving state level interest in the reduction of Lyme and other tick borne diseases. We have asked Governor Rell to actively support achieving this goal. No member is obliged in any way to sign or support any specific initiative the Coalition may undertake in pursuit of the Coalition goal.  You will be informed of any new initiatives as they arise.

There is no membership fee to join. We welcome willing volunteers.

To find out how to join or to send a letter to Governor Rell, please contact us.
Read examples of letters sent to Governor Rell requesting a state policy to end Lyme disease and control deer populations from:

Housatonic Valley Council of Governments
Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments
Southwestern Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Valley Council of Governments
Windham Region Council of Governments
Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians
Connecticut Council of Small Towns
Danbury Hospital Department of Pediatrics
Danbury Hospital Lyme Disease Task Force
City of Stamford
Towns of Canaan, Kent, Easton, Fairfield, Middlebury, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Wilton, Woodbridge
Aquarion Water Company
Connecticut Audubon Society

Print our flyer for your organization:

Help promote the educational DVD study project on white tail deer that was designed by Mississippi State University for use in northeastern high schools. The kids do all their own fact finding research, role play town meetings as stake-holders and debate their findings. 

Feel free to forward the link to educators that you feel may be interested. http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/teacher_education/

Contact is Jessica Tegt, Research Associate
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Mississippi State University
662-325-2384