City of Northampton application-for-municipality-opt-out-of-srmcb-spraying 2021Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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INTRODUCTION
•Pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 252, Section 2A, municipalities may opt out of spraying, including
aerial or other mosquito control spraying, conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito
Control Board (“SRMCB”). To opt out of any spraying conducted by the SRMCB, a municipality
must have an alternative mosquito management plan (“Plan”) approved by the Executive Office
of Energy and Environmental Affairs (“EEA”).
•Approval of a Plan allows a municipality to opt out of spraying (including both aerial or wide-
area) conducted by the SRMCB under M.G.L. c. 252, Section 2A. It does not extend to any
spraying conducting by a mosquito control project or district (“MCD”) of which a municipality
may be a member. Any questions related to services provided by an MCD should be directed to
its attention.
•A Plan must be approved in order for the SRMCB to recognize any municipality’s request to opt
out of spraying.
•This process applies only to municipalities. Any other requests to opt out of spraying or exclude
private property must be made in accordance with M.G.L. c. 252 or 333 CMR 13.00. More
information on these options is available on the SRMCB website at https://www.mass.gov/how-
to/how-to-request-an-exclusion-or-opt-out-from-wide-area-pesticide-applications.
•A Plan shall be effective from the date of approval through December 31st of the year in which it
was approved.
PROCESS
The following steps must be completed prior to submitting a Plan to EEA for its review:
1.The municipality must hold a meeting of the City Council or Select Board, at which a vote must
be taken indicating the municipality’s intention to opt out of spraying (including aerial or other
mosquito control spraying) conducted by the SRMCB.
a.This meeting should include input on the Plan from the local board of health and allow
for public comment.
b.The vote should include the following:
i.The date and time of the public meeting
ii.That the board of health was consulted;
iii.That public comment was allowed;
iv.Whether the municipality is opting out of all spraying or only certain spray
activities, such as aerial spraying. If a vote does not include that it is for a
specific type of spraying, the vote will cover all spray activities conducted by the
SRMCB under M.G.L. c. 252, Section 2A; and
v.That the vote to opt out will only be honored if an alternative mosquito
management plan is submitted and approved by EEA.
2.The municipality must include a copy of the certified vote must be included as part of the
application for approval of a Plan.
3.The municipality must complete this application for approval of a Plan and submit it to EEA at
the following address: EEAopt-out@mass.gov
4.All applications must be received by end of day on the issued deadline.
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Please provide contact information for your municipality:
•Town/City:
•County:
•If your municipality is currently a member of a Mosquito Control District or Project, please enter
the Project/District Name:
•Point of contact:
o Name:Title:
o Email:Phone:
•A copy of the certified vote (must be submitted along with this application)
Is the person responsible for overseeing the work outlined in this plan different than the point of
contact above? Yes No
If yes, please enter their information below:
•Point of contact:
o Name:Title:
o Email:Phone:
MOSQUITO CONTROL SERVICES
Who is providing services? Check all that apply:
MCD (If this box is checked, skip to the MOSQUITO HABITAT section on page 6)
Contractor
•Contractor name and contact information, if available:
•Number of staff to be provided: Full-time: Part-time: Contract:
Municipal Staff
•Number of staff to be provided: Full-time: Part-time: Contract:
•Description of staff roles, licenses held to perform work, etc.
SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Check off all that apply:
Education, Outreach & Public education (REQUIRED)
Source reduction (tire removals)
Water Management/Ditch maintenance
Larval mosquito control
Larval mosquito surveillance
Adult mosquito control
Adult mosquito surveillance (species ID and populations counts only)
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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Adult mosquito arbovirus testing (For EEE, WNV, etc.)
Research
Other (please list):
Comments:
EQUIPMENT
Equipment needed for mosquito management, to be provided by contractor or in-house (if any):
•Modified wetland equipment (Number: and type: )
•Larval control equipment (Number: and type: )
•ULV sprayers (Number: and type: )
•Vehicles (Number: )
•Other (please describe):
SOURCE REDUCTION
If you plan to conduct tire removals or other methods of source reduction, please fill out the section
below.
Please describe your program:
What time frame during the year will this method be employed?
Comments:
WATER MANAGEMENT/DITCH MAINTENANCE
If you plan to have a water management or ditch maintenance program, please fill out the section
below, or skip ahead to the next section.
Please check all that apply:
Inland/freshwater habitats
Saltmarsh/coastal habitats
Please describe your program:
Check off all planned maintenance types that apply:
Culvert cleaning ( Freshwater Saltwater)
Hand cleaning ( Freshwater Saltwater)
Mechanized cleaning ( Freshwater Saltwater)
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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Stream flow improvement
Other (describe):
Comments:
What time frame during the year would this work be done?
If available, please attach a map of ditch maintenance areas (or a website link to that map).
LARVAL MOSQUITO CONTROL:
If you plan to have a larval mosquito control program, please fill out the section below. NOTE THAT
THE USE OF PESTICIDES IS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF M.G.L. c. 132B, THE MASSACHUSETTS
PESTICIDE CONTROL ACT, AND THE REGULATIONS PROMULGATED THEREUNDER AT 333 CMR 2.00
THROUGH 14.00 ET SEQ.
Describe the purpose of this program:
What months will this program be active?
Describe the types of areas where you intend to use this program:
What will your trigger be for larviciding operations? (check all that apply)
Best professional judgment
Historical records
Larval dip counts – please list trigger for application:
Other (please describe):
Comments:
What control methods will you use (check all that apply):
Ground application of larvicide (hand, portable and/or backpack, etc.)
Aerial applications of larvicide (typically helicopter)
Catch basin treatments
Other (please list):
Comments:
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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ADULT MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE
If you plan to have an adult mosquito surveillance program, please fill out the section below, or have the
contractor provide this information if a contractor has already been selected.
Describe the purpose of this program:
What months will this program be active?
List all trap types you intend to employ (CDC light traps, gravid traps, ovitraps, etc.):
ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL
If you plan to have an adult mosquito control program, please fill out the section below, or have the
contractor provide this information. NOTE THAT THE USE OF PESTICIDES IS UNDER THE JURISDICTION
OF M.G.L. c. 132B, THE MASSACHUSETTS PESTICIDE CONTROL ACT, AND THE REGULATIONS
PROMULGATED THEREUNDER AT 333 CMR 2.00 THROUGH 14.00 ET SEQ.
Describe the purpose of this program:
What is the time frame for this program?
Describe the types of areas where you intend to use this program:
What methods of control will you use? Check all that apply:
Aerial applications (typically helicopter)
Portable applications (ex. Backpack sprayers)
Truck applications (ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayers, misters, etc.)
Other (please list):
Comments:
What will your trigger be for adulticiding operations? Check all that apply:
Arbovirus data
Best professional judgment
Complaint calls (Describe trigger for application: )
Landing rates (Describe trigger for application: )
Trap data (Describe trigger for application: )
Comments:
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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ASSESSMENT OF MOSQUITO MANAGEMENT PLAN EFFICACY
Describe efforts for assessing the efficacy of your mosquito management program, if your plan
involves any of the following:
•Aerial Larvicide – wetlands:
•Ground ULV Adulticide:
•Larvicide – catch basins:
•Larvicide-hand/small area:
•Source Reduction:
•Other (please list):
Provide or list standard steps, criterion, or protocols regarding the documentation of efficacy (pre-
and post- data), and pesticide resistance testing (if any):
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
Does your program intend to use (check all that apply):
Aerial Photography
Databases
Dataloggers (monitoring for temperature, etc.)
GIS mapping (Describe: )
GPS equipment
Smartphones
Tablets/Toughbooks
Other (please describe):
Comments:
MOSQUITO HABITAT
Has any potential mosquito habitat been identified in your municipality? Yes No
If so, how? Please indicate all that apply:
Mapping of wetlands
Mapping of catch basins
Past surveillance, done by:
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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DPH
Mosquito Control District
Contractor
Municipality
MOSQUITO TESTING AND ARBOVIRUS
Indicate below which arboviruses have been found in your area during the last five years. If the box is
checked please provide number of positive mosquito pools, equine (horse) and human cases.
Information available from your MCD, or at: https://www.mass.gov/lists/arbovirus-surveillance-plan-
and-historical-data
Arbovirus Positive Mosquito Pools Equine Cases Human Cases
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
West Nile Virus (WNV)
Other (please list):
Comments:
EDUCATION, OUTREACH & PUBLIC RELATIONS
All municipalities are required to have an education/outreach program.
Provide a 1-2 paragraph narrative of the proposed outreach plan:
Check off all education/outreach methods that you intend to employ:
Development/distribution of brochures, handouts, etc.
Door-to-door canvassing (door hangers, speaking to property owners, etc.)
Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, or other social media):
Mailings (Describe target audiences):
Media outreach (interviews for print or online media sources, press releases, etc.)
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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Presentations (in-person or virtual)
School-based programs, science fairs, etc.
Tabling at events (local events, annual meetings, etc.)
Website (URL: )
Other (please describe):
Select the audience types you intend to target from the list below:
Residents (homeowners, apartment dwellers, etc.)
Landlords (for large apartment or condominium complexes)
K-12 (teachers, students, camps, etc.)
Municipal staff (highway dept., parks and recreation, board of health, conservation commission, etc.)
State/Federal land managers (state parks, national wildlife refuges, etc.)
Transportation industry (Busing companies, commuter rail, truck/rest stops, etc.)
Recreational venues (fairgrounds, sports complexes, ballfields, etc.)
Other land owners/managers (please describe):
Other (please describe):
Additional Comments:
List a minimum of 3 education/outreach activities you plan to execute for the upcoming mosquito
season:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
OTHER COMMENTS
Please use this section to add any comments here on topics not covered elsewhere in this report:
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Municipalities that receive approval of alternative mosquito management plans from EEA are required
to submit an annual report for all activities conducted during the mosquito season by January 31st.
Annual reports must be submitted to: EEAopt-out@mass.gov
Application for an Alternative Mosquito Management Plan Required for a Municipality to
Opt Out of Spraying Conducted by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Please mark each check box indicating your acknowledgement of the items below, and sign and date the
application before submitting it.
The Municipality acknowledges that any work performed will be subject to applicable local, state,
and federal regulations, ordinances, and statutes and all necessary permits, licenses, approvals,
or other permission must be obtained prior to the commencement of any work. The approval of
this Plan does not constitute work under M.G.L. c. 252 or authorize any exemption provided for
work conducted under said chapter, unless otherwise expressly provided for by law.
The municipality acknowledges that approval of a Plan allows it to opt out of spraying conducted
by the SRMCB under M.G.L. c. 252, Section 2A. It does not extend to any spraying conducting by a
mosquito control project or district (“MCD”) of which a municipality may be a member.
The municipality acknowledges that it has conducted the required public meeting, that a vote is
included with this Plan, and that any vote to opt out of spraying performed under M.G.L. c. 252 is
subject to the approval of this Plan. No such opt out will be honored without an approved Plan.
Signature and Title (Sign or Type Signature)
Date