STATE RECLAMATION BOARD 

 John J. McColgan, Chairman 



The Department of Food and Agriculture is represented on the State 

 Reclamation Board by John J. McColgan and the Department of Environmental 

 Quality Engineering by James L, Dallas. The third member position at the 

 present time is vacant due to the retirement of Albert H. Zabriskie of the 

 Department of Environmental Management. With the advent of Charles Cannon's 

 retirement Elizabeth M. Costello was appointed secretary of the Reclamation 

 Board. 



This year the Board employed Mark S. Buff one as Entomologist. It has 

 been several years since the Board has had the services of a staff member 

 trained in entomology, and this has helped increase our program of work and 

 services to the public this year. 



As in previous years, the State Reclamation Board's main activities focused 

 on the mosquito problems of the Commonwealth. This year the Board provided the 

 district commissioners with administrative resources, technical assistance and 

 recommendations relative to mosquito control practices. The Board has under 

 its aegis ten regional districts which provide 188 municipalities of the 

 Commonwealth with expert and trained personnel, special equipment, material, 

 and a comprehensive plan to efficiently and effectively reduce mosquito 

 populations. 



The Board initiated a program of review and approval of the procedures 

 of the remaining mosquito control programs of municipalities not in a district. 



This year the Town of Bedford voted to re-enter the East Middlesex 

 County Mosquito Control Project after voting itself out for the last two years. 

 The Town of Lunenburg became a new member of the Central Massachusetts Mosquito 

 Control Project. The City of Leominster requested to become a member of 

 Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control District; the request was untimely, and 

 action will be taken to include Leominster next year. Interest from citizens 

 in the southwest area of Worcester County prompted filing of legislation to 

 form a new mosquito control district. The proposed legislation was passed by 

 the House but failed in the Senate. Legislation was also filed to have the 

 South Shore Mosquito Control Project become a district organized under the 

 provisions of Chapter 252. 



Regarding the financing of the mosquito projects; all mosquito control 

 operations, totaling approximately $2,000,000 are financed locally. The eight 

 organized mosquito districts funding is based on a formula involving land area 

 and valuation. The formula is spelled out in the special legislative act under 

 which each district is organized. East Middlesex and South Shore Mosquito 

 Control Projects are voluntary trusts; they are funded by the cities and towns 

 who have elected to join them through town meetings or city council vote. 

 During the year, the mosquito control budgets that were requested for the 1981 

 fiscal year were cut in committee, and in some cases, significantly. The Senate 

 Ways and Means Committee conducted a survey of all communities in each district 

 to ensure that they were agreeable to the assessment. After this survey, the 

 Committee reinstated these monies to full funding for each mosquito control 

 project. 



This year the Biting Fly Project continued to be a valuable service. It 

 is currently supported by a matching funds agreement between the University of 

 Massachusetts Extension Service and the ten regional mosquito control projects 

 via the State Reclamation Board. Jere Downing (Biting Fly Specialist) has 



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