BOSTON- Senator Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer) and other members of the Mosquito Control for the Twenty-First Century Task Force held their second virtual meeting last week to continue their comprehensive study of the Commonwealth’s mosquito control process and recommend reforms to the current mosquito control system.

Chaired by the Executive Office of Energy and environmental Affairs (EEA) and the Department of Public Health (DPH), the task force consists of officials from state agencies, professional organizations, and academic institutions to help develop an ecological and sustainable mosquito management program.

Serving in her sixth year as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, a position that she also held in the House for ten years, Senator Gobi had this to say on the Task Force’s efforts to-date and goals moving forward, “With the increase in mosquito-borne illnesses we have seen the last several years, it is our duty to look for effective and efficient solutions that keep our citizens safe and healthy. We must find a balance between effective management practices and public health/agricultural concerns, and the creation of this task force will help ensure that all stakeholders are brought into the fold.”

The task force, authorized under “An Act to Mitigate Arbovirus in the Commonwealth” and signed into law by the Governor on July 20th of this year, is considering a number of items, including the facilitated use of the integrated pest management system, the promotion of public participation in mosquito management decisions, the protection of organic agriculture from pesticide use, and developing local options regarding the use of pesticides. They must file their findings, recommendations, and accompanying legislation by October 31st, 2021.

For more information on the task force, please visit www.mass.gov/orgs/mosquito-control-for-the-twenty-first-century-task-force.