What do we all love about living in Burrillville? Driving down a country road past fields and forests and lakes, watching the seasons change, planning and planting and harvesting our gardens, hunting and fishing, feeding the birds, walking in the woods, going to the Saturday farmers’ market, taking care of our land, woodlots and wildlife. It’s not a lifestyle for everyone, but for those of us who have chosen to live in the rural northwest corner, it’s a way of life we cherish and want to preserve.
The mission of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to “help rural America thrive and to preserve our Nation’s natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds, and healthy private working lands.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Forest Service and Rural Development provide services that impact all Americans, but especially those of us in rural areas: they teach us how to attract pollinators to our gardens, keep our forests healthy, and optimize our crop yields.
Last month, three young dedicated civil servants from the USDA came to the Jesse Smith Library to make sure Burrillville residents interested in preserving our rural character were aware of the local programs and services offered. They made a presentation, answered all our questions, and distributed useful packets of information to help our gardens, our forests and our farmers thrive.
Just a few days later, they were all fired.
They were fired by the richest man on the planet. They were fired with no concern about their ability to pay their mortgages or buy their groceries. And they were fired with no concern for the rural communities who no longer have access to their knowledge, experience and dedication. The people fired were not faceless bureaucrats from the swamp; they are neighbors from down the road.
As members of the Burrillville Democratic Town Committee, we want to support those champions in the same way we want to support our farmers and preserve our rural way of life. Supporting the local community, being stewards of the environment, and respecting our public servants are core principles of the Democratic Town Committee. We protest against the unjustified and harmful terminations of dedicated public servants because we can’t preserve our rural way of life if we don’t preserve democracy.
David Esten
Jennifer Campbell
Members of the Burrillville Democratic Town Committee
Thank you Mr Musk
Tony, please check WPRI channel 12 on February 19, 2025 for factual reporting on the terminations. But I’m delighted you felt an emotional pull from the letter.
And Tony 2, I agree with you and Joni Mitchell: “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Don’t it always seem to go you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?”
affordable housing, and land clearing for commercial use property, and our property tax rate just increased 30%…………. do we need USDA workers to help protect asphalt parking lots?still wondering how this is good for the residents.
I’m not sure residents who are not farmers understand what services USDA provides to us. They act as a bank providing loans for the purchase of farms that conventional banks would not touch. You have to jump through as many and even more hoops than a coventional bank. They provide insurance for crops and disaster assistance. Think about last year’s drought. They provide grants for innovative methods or improvements. Think bird flu. They are not waving flags saying we’re here but they are in our community providing services. They have a local board made up of all local farmers.
If there are any land acquisitions for conservation in town that should take place the Burrillville Conservation Commission should be involved. Our responsibility is to advise the TC, Planning Board and the Zoning Board on what properties should be preserved.
Can you provide proof of who these individuals are that came and presented to you and are now fired ? Dates, times names? Or is this just praying on emotions.
Also, I think YouTube could probably teach people how to do those things vs on the backs of the American taxpayer.
Maybe it’s just me.
Dear Burrillville Democratic Town Committee,
This one Republican invites you to be a part of our effort to foster a stronger municipal land trust and effort to preserve the rural character of our town, without denying access to lands under our stewardship, the way the current privately-held Burrillville Land Trust does. The Burrillville taxpayer deserves access to land if they are going to support the acquisition of such land and its removal from the tax rolls. It goes without saying that you do not support efforts of DOGE. We don’t have to debate that here. But join us as we look to reshape open space acquisition and land management in our beautiful town.