LEYDEN — The Selectboard and Board of Health voted this week to opt out of state Department of Agricultural Resources’ mosquito control program, a decision many towns in the county have made already or are still discussing.
Towns have been determining whether to opt out of the program, which is based on recent State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board legislation that assumes all towns and cities have opted into aerial spraying. Municipalities that choose to opt out must submit an alternative plan for mosquito management in their jurisdiction by May 28.
“The Leyden Selectboard, after hearing from the Board of Health and around 10 residents, decided that we are opting out of the state aerial spraying,” Selectboard member Jeffrey Neipp said Tuesday.
Leyden joined the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District following a vote at its 2020 Annual Town Meeting. Greenfield, Deerfield, Bernardston, Heath, Rowe and Shutesbury are all members of this district, which was created by Deerfield Selectboard member Carolyn Shores Ness in 2016.
Because of Leyden’s involvement with the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District, Neipp said, “we feel that our plan that will be submitted will be OK’d by the state.”
He said the town coordinates with the district and Board of Health to establish whatever alternative measures to aerial spraying are needed “to keep West Nile Virus and EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis) out of the town.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.