ERVING — Mosquito control services will likely be handled internally by the town this year, as the Selectboard has moved to opt out of a state program that has raised concerns in several other local towns.
The state’s program, through the Department of Agricultural Resources, includes an option for aerial spraying, in case certain diseases are found in local mosquito populations.
Individual towns have the ability to opt out of this program, if they can provide an alternative mosquito control plan that meets requirements set by the state. Greenfield, Montague and Wendell are among the communities that have chosen to opt out.
The deadline for the town to have its alternative plan approved by the state is May 15.
Earlier this week, the Selectboard voted to opt out of the state’s program, and approved an alternative plan that had been prepared by Administrative Coordinator Bryan Smith.
However, the board and other town officials involved noted that the state’s announcement of its plans left towns little time to find alternatives, and that if they’d had more time they might have explored other options.
Erving Planning Assistant Mariah Kurtz said she had attended an online meeting on the state’s program, and that many in attendance raised similar concerns about the program and the short deadline for opting out of it.
“We’re not alone in feeling like there’s a time crunch,” Kurtz said.
Erving’s plan, which the board approved this week to be sent to the state, focuses on public communication, and certain maintenance services the town can provide to limit breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Smith noted that Erving’s proposed plan meets the state’s basic requirements for mosquito control, but that it would likely be expanded if the town were to continue doing its own mosquito control in future years.
The public communication piece of the plan commits the town to providing information regarding the threat level of diseases carried by mosquitoes. This would likely be done through the town website or through automated phone calls, Smith said.
The town would also have the ability to limit certain kinds of public activities, or close certain public spaces if necessary.
The maintenance services the town would provide would mainly comprise culvert maintenance and removal of materials known to be breeding grounds, such as old tires filled with stagnant water, Smith explained.
The obvious alternative to Erving handling its own mosquito control services, as the Selectboard discussed, would have been to join the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District. But joining the district requires a Town Meeting vote, and Erving’s Annual Town Meeting next week is too soon to add the vote to the warrant, Smith said.
He added that, if the town is still interested later this year, Erving may consider joining the district at a future Town Meeting.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.