Mosquito Control on National Wildlife Refuges and Federal Lands

Issue: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) draft “National Mosquito Management Policy” may not allow local Mosquito Control Programs (MCPs) to control mosquitoes either on or off National Wildlife Refuges in a timely, cost effective, environmentally-compatible manner unless appropriately amended. 

Background: Many National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) produce enormous numbers of mosquitoes that can adversely affect quality of life, human and wildlife health, in addition to local economies in off-refuge areas. However, the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 did not specifically address mosquito control on-refuge. After the Act’s passage, several Members of Congress directed USFWS to administratively work with MCPs and AMCA to develop an appropriate policy. 

In October 2007, a draft “National Mosquito Management Policy” (the Policy) was published in the Federal Register for public comment. After reviewing comments in April, 2009, USFWS stated it would issue a second draft of the proposed Policy for further public comment, but has yet to do so.    

Discussion: More than 40 MCPs in addition to the AMCA provided extensive comments and recommendations to USFWS concerning the 2007 draft Policy, followed by several additional rounds of dialogue with the USFWS:

• Almost all mosquito control work on NWRs is performed and paid for by state, county, or municipal mosquito control programs - not by the USFWS.

• The Centers for Disease Control recognizes excessive numbers of biting mosquitoes as a health problem, even in the absence of disease transmission - the draft policy does not.

• The Service must recognize that controlling mosquitoes based upon mosquito population levels is the most effective, efficient and environmentally-compatible way to prevent both human and zoonotic disease transmission. This also promotes quality-of-life in off-refuge areas, including local economies based on tourism, outdoor recreation, animal husbandry, and local property values.

Pending a policy issuance, individual NWRs struggled to complete their refuge-specific Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs), by October, 2012, as per statute mandate. Many CCPs, in turn, require refuge-specific Mosquito Management Plans (MMPs).  The contents of these CCPs and MMPs are being developed without benefit of any acceptable final National Policy as guidance, leading to contentious situations at some NWRs.

Needed Action: USFWS should ensure that the comments expressed by mosquito control professionals are fully considered and satisfactorily addressed in the next revised version of the Service’s draft Policy. Pending formal adoption of the appropriately amended Policy, current mosquito control practices on NWRs should remain unchanged, and no CCPs or MMPs should be developed or implemented having contents unacceptable to local MCPs. U