Dear Governor Lamont, Attorney General Tong, Commissioner Hurlburt, Senator Harding and Representative Horn:

The undersigned support the efforts of the Sharon Land Trust and CT resident/taxpayer Carol Flaton in their efforts to understand and challenge the process taken by the CT Department of Agriculture (DoAg) to NOT enforce certain agricultural easements (i.e. restrictions of development rights) to the fullest extent possible.

Currently, two properties (subject to these taxpayer-funded DoAg easements) are being developed in Sharon as large, private home sites by NY resident non-farmers.  The undersigned understand that the State of Connecticut purchased these easements using ~ $618k of taxpayer monies (equating to ~$2mm in 2024 dollars) to protect and preserve agricultural acreage. Yet DoAg has decided not to enforce the easements. The prospective home on the Paley Farm is being sited DIRECTLY in the center of the prime agricultural field, destroying some of the best arable land in the State of Connecticut.

How could DoAg approve any non-farming related construction on this protected property? Moreover, how could ANY construction be sited to maximally destroy the highest-value arable land? Is DoAg faithfully pursuing its mission of “protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources”?

The public deserves to understand DoAg's evaluation process and policies.  On what basis, and following what procedures, were applications to build on these protected properties approved? Freedom of Information Act requests have been filed with DoAg and have gone unanswered.

THE UNDERSIGNED CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS ASK YOU, AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, TO INVESTIGATE, EVALUATE, AND TAKE ACTION TO PROPERLY ENFORCE THESE AGRICULTURAL EASEMENTS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.  

Please note: After signing the petition, you may be prompted to donate to "promote" it. Any contributions made go directly to Change.org for advertising the petition and do not go to the Sharon Land Trust or support our efforts directly.