CRN Salina Northern Salinas Valley Mosquito Abatement District*

Coordination and communication between the District staff and the Monterey County Health Department staff has been infrequent, somewhat limited to instances of disease out-breaks. A large working group of stakeholders was established during the West Nile outbreak in 2004 but it no longer meets on a regular basis. Since the outbreak of 2004 we have worked with The Health Department to train its employees how to recognize and abate mosquito nuisance. They come to us when they need a helping hand and vice versa. We both work together and communicate when necessary. We still coordinate dead birds and mosquito calls. (F4) The District has a competent and hardworking staff but unfortunately the public does not seem to be aware that the District exists, what they do or why it is important that mosquito abatement activities continue. Preventing disease simply does not attract public notice, active support or media attention, although it is the most cost effective measure for preventing disease, human misery and death. The District currently has six staff members whose experience range from 10 to 38 years of service. Four mosquito technicians cover 458 square miles of the District's boundaries. One of the mosquito technicians is the District's heavy equipment operator. Each member of the staff is certified through the California Department of Public Health in mosquito control, terrestrial invertebrate vector control and vector vertebrate control and is required to obtain 40 units of continued education every 2 years. Each staff member including the District Manager-Biologist and Administrative Assistant is capable of carrying out more than one function within the district program. The District carries out its responsibility to the residents of the area through a multi-faceted program including, but not limited to the following: Collection of adult mosquito populations throughout the District. Specimens are identified, and reported to the California State lab. Continuous surveillance and inspection of water sources for mosquito egg, 0 larval and pupal populations. Insecticide resistance testing of larvae is done in the laboratory and the field. Survey of pertinent disease occurrence through contacts with veterinarians, state 0 health officials, and local environmental health departments. Maintenance of encephalitis virus and West Nile virus surveillance programs. The District periodically cleans and maintains water courses throughout northern Monterey County in cooperation with city and county departments utilizing the District's heavy equipment and expertise. We do what is called Source Reduction in which mowing and mulching of dense vegetation is done in alternating bands, leaving strips of undisturbed vegetation thinning the overall density of work areas. This activity creates opportunities for a more diversified spectrum of wildlife. The work is only done during the dry season and away from standing water. Low ground pressure of equipment is done so as not to disturb burrowed species. Only common tules, cattails and bull rushes are mowed. Overall this type of enhancement project not only helps in controlling mosquito populations, but aids in the recovery of threatened and endangered wildlife species. With a biologist on staff, consultation services can be supplied to agencies planning to alter and/or restore wetland habitat in order to minimize mosquito production in the finished project. The District reviews proposed development plans in order to minimize the possibility of the creation of new mosquito breeding sources. We also employ biological control agents namely mosquito fish. The District maintains a lab and outdoor rearing program for larvae eating fish, Gambusia affinis, which can be placed in all known suitable bodies of water in the District. Mosquito fish are delivered to residents in the District. For those residing outside the District, the fish can be picked up at the District office by appointment. They are great for people who have horse troughs, ponds, and they were a big help with the housing crisis and neglected swimming pools. As a District we also treat for the mosquitos in which we call larviciding or adulticiding, depending on the life stage. The District employs measures of control having the least effect on non-target organisms as well as stabilizing natural predator populations. District staff is constantly looking into the newest Biological Control agents to be employed in their efforts to control mosquito larvae production that will also be safe for the environment. We treat street drains, unmaintained water features, ponds, water conveyances, marshes, anything and everything that can hold water. sacraditally and hour with a filterality main The District also actively collects dead birds and mosquitos, we then test them for various mosquito borne disease. We also keep two sentinel chicken flocks that are great for testing because they do not die from illness, rather they show if disease are in the area. We also provide free public education; we can also assist homeowners with a wide variety of wild animals and bugs. (F5) Should the proliferation of mosquitoes and mosquito borne disease increase, it will not only have an impact on the health of residents but will also negatively impact tourism thus affecting the whole economy of Monterey County. The following is a clipping from a newspaper article that describes a mosquito situation that happened last summer in the tourist town of Bandon Oregon. Bandon is known for wood products, fishing, and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. A similar situation would happen in Monterey if mosquito abatement did not exist, because we treat for the "Salt marsh mosquito" in and around the salt marshes. One afternoon in mid-June, Amy Fraser pulled up to her home in Bandon and saw her dog Lily outside. The dog's legs looked muddy, her normally white fur coated black. Unlike many mosquitoes that are active at dusk and dawn, salt marsh mosquitoes bite during the day. After hearing from angry constituents, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., pressed U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials for a solution. "They told me they were looking into the problem," he said in a news release in July. "Three months later and well into the tourist season, the mosquito problem has gotten worse." He called for immediate relief and long-term action. U.S. Fish and Wildlife launched a study with Oregon State University scientists to seek a mosquito management strategy but that effort will go on for a year. In the short term, the agency drained a few ponds in the refuge about two weeks ago. Residents report that the problem has lessened in recent days but not gone away. A full solution has been entangled in red tape. Fish and Wildlife doesn't deal with mosquitoes. "We're not experts in mosquito abatement," said Megan Nagel, an agency spokeswoman. "There's no precedent for FWS to pay for and do the spraying." Cash-strapped Coos County doesn't have a vector control agency, and any way, the refuge is under federal protection. The agency has to issue a permit before sprays can be used. For that to happen, the feds said they needed Coos County to declare a health emergency. Zogg said that would amount to an abuse of her power. So on Thursday, she issued a health advisory, warning residents about the mosquito problem. That got the federal wheels turning, said John Sweet, chairman of the Coos County Board of war from the second control of the second Commissioners. "The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife accepted that as a trigger to start their process towards permitting control measures," Sweet said Friday. "I'm hopeful that will happen next week." Once the county has permits, it will have a new problem: How to pay for abatement. U.S. Fish and Wildlife has said it won't dish up the dollars, DeFazio said. He's working on authorities in Washington D.C. and gone to the governor's office in Salem looking for help. In the meantime, Bandon residents have to cope. They're just hoping they don't have to suffer through another explosive breeding cycle this summer. ■ Lynne Terry August 30, 2013. Reporter for The Organian, Bandon OR. This is just one situation where mosquitos affect the overall health of the economy. The reason this District was formed was because of the "Salt marsh mosquito" in the Elkhorn Slough and surrounding areas. In those days the salt marsh mosquito had an impact on farming operations, devastating effects on real estate, and overall quality of life. The salt marsh mosquito would travel all the way into Salinas and Monterey to bite the residents who lived there and then fly back to the marshes to lay eggs. The tourism industry in Monterey County would suffer, people just don't like getting bit, add the disease factor, soon your city would have a reputation for a bad mosquito problem which would eventually detract people from wanting to see what you have to offer. (R1) County Board of Supervisors, The District, and the Monterey County Environmental Health Department (Health Department) should work together to develop a coordinated plan for mosquito control, including a budget for countywide mosquito management, whether the parcel tax passes or does not pass. The Health Department and The District work together to cover the entire County. The District finds the Health Department to be most helpful with mosquito related issues; we help The Health Department whenever we can. Creating, "a budget for countywide mosquito management" alone does not provide a funding source to pay for the costs of said management. Andrew Co. St. Williams of St. (R-2) The District and the Monterey County Health Department should establish regular and routine communication regarding mosquito abatement and control issues. They should work to find ways to maximize resources of both groups to broaden the reach of mosquito control throughout the County when possible. to be if you got the court of Figure 1 and 1 of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Company of the Compa The District and the Health Department do communicate on a, "as needed basis." Regular meetings waste time, money, and are not the most efficient mode of communication. The Constituency would prefer service to meetings. Both departments use email to communicate or the telephone when issues arise. We are efficient at what we do and have maximized resourcefulness between both departments. The District and Heath Department have the same goal: protect public health. (R-3) The Northern Salinas Valley Mosquito Abatement District Board should allocate resources to public information and outreach, including but not limited to; managing the website, social media and written materials explaining the role of mosquitoes in human and animal disease and the resources available to members of the public trying to control mosquitoes on their own property. In recent years, correlating with West Nile virus, extra efforts have been made for public outreach. For instance last year the District entered our amphibious vehicle into the Colmo del Rodeo Parade, it stole the show. Additionally, The District sent out 50,000 newspaper inserts that were distributed in The Monterey County Weekly and The Californian. The District paid for billboards, radio time, and for increased fleet visibility, all in the name of public education. The District sends out press releases regularly and as a result we have received some full-page newspaper articles, airtime on T.V. We have established a Facebook page, and are considering professional help with our website. In addition to the previous, we also participate at Farm Day, Rodeo, hold an annual booth at the Monterey County Fair, visit classrooms, give talks to various organizations and membership clubs. The Health Department worked with District staff to air mosquito awareness on Access Monterey Peninsula. Education is one of our best tools and we will continue to seek new and innovative ways to inform the public. (R-4) The District and Monterey County Health Department staff should mutually and quickly explore and report on a path to extend the mosquito abatement activities throughout the County and report their findings to the Board of Supervisors. Annexation alone does not provide a funding source to pay for the costs of abatement. The additional revenue needed to fund abatement efforts would need to come from a voluntary reduction of the property tax revenue now going to the County or from a voluntary reduction from one or more of the other taxing agencies, or from a voter approved tax or assessment. Respectfully Submitted, Ken Klemme District Manager - Biologist Northern Salinas Valley Mosquito Abatement District