Williston’s mosquito control surcharge increase has passed, so now what?

For one thing, Williston Vector Control District 1 Director Fran Bosch has a lot of writing to do. He’s in the process of completing the environmental control assessment that details the possible positive and negative impacts a project may have on the environment.

The surcharge that was approved at the Nov. 4 election assesses an additional $2 per household per month in Williston, and creates a new $2 a month household surcharge for patrons of the Mountrail-Williams Rural Electric Cooperative.

The assessment Bosch is working on describes the area to be treated for the nasty pests and lists endangered species in that area. So far, there’s been a Finding of No Significant Impact on such species, Bosch said.

The assessment also involves the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Dakota Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Jeff Keller, natural resource manager for the Army Corps in Williston. Once the assessment’s completed, it must be signed by the agencies involved. Then it’ll go to the U.S. Air Force, Keller said. The Air Force needs the assessment so it knows information such as what types of larvacide are approved for use, Keller said.

In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is writing its annual contract with the vector control district and Trenton Indian Service Area. The contract includes information such as timelines, dip counts, labor, areas to be treated for mosquitoes and what will done in those areas, Keller said. The contract is typically completed by January or February, he said.

Bosch has had weekly contact with the Air Force about its role in combatting mosquitoes. There’s always the chance the Air Force won’t be able to assist, as it may be called away to war or to a natural disaster. So Bosch wants to make it clear the Air Force’s participation is only a possibility.

However, it’s more than likely the Air Force is coming, said Mark Breidenbaugh, chief entomologist of the Air Force Spray Flight at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, Ohio.

“The primary purpose for the military is to do military action, so if we have to do that, we would be unavailable; but having said that, the caveat is that we participate in ongoing mosquito control problems throughout the country and we take our involvement in those very seriously...Except for start of this current conflict in Iraq, we’ve made all of our commitments,” Breidenbaugh said.

Bosch said everything should be in place for the Air Force if it’s able to be part of mosquito-control efforts this summer.

“The environmental assessment will be in place, housing for the crew (will be ready), we will have to have the chemical on hand; it’s sure gonna help us out, if and when we can get them,” Bosch said about the Air Force.

The revenue generated from the higher mosquito-control surcharge is for much more than bring the Air Force here. It’s to cover the cost of products to kill the pesky bugs, and the vector control district can cover more area with its ability to buy more products, Bosch said. For example, fogging is to be done in areas that couldn’t be fogged because there wasn’t enough money to buy the product.

The vector control district also is considering buying products that last longer, thus being more effective. This also will reduce the amount of fly-overs done, Bosch said.

“We’ll be looking at some different formulations of some products we’ve already used,” he said.

When mosquito season begins, it’s like a bunch of wild fires starting on a prairie. If the district can use a 21-day product as opposed to a three-day product, it can treat one area, then concentrate on another area without having to worry about the first area’s product wearing out.

Other preparations between now and April include training and mapping. Bosch is taking an aerial applicator course in January to qualify the vector control district in working with the Air Force, and the vector control district crew is being trained on larval identification to target certain species of mosquitoes.

The vector district also is working on a major mapping project.

“We have to locate and measure areas that hold the water,” Bosch said, adding a lot of places have already been mapped.

If the vector control district is unable to utilize the Air Force, it’s not as if the work won’t be done; Williston Aero Service does spraying for the district and it would continue to do so, Bosch said. The Air Force would be preferable only because its planes are larger, and thus it’d take less trips to spray the adulticide.

“Rick (Marburger) has been very good about it,” he said of the Williston Aero Service owner.

Bosch is confident the money from the surcharge increase is going to make a difference.

“If we have another year like last year, I hope we’d make a dent. On a normal year, I think we’d make a difference with fewer mosquitoes,” Bosch said, adding, “I really want to see a good Fourth of July this year.”

Bosch is appreciative of the citizens’ decision to vote “yes” for an increased mosquito control surcharge.

“I’m touched by their confidence in vector control that we can get this done. By God, I‘m gonna do everything possible that I can,” Bosch said.