MOSQUITOES

I would like to respond to the letter by Janis Gilbert, communications manager for state Department of Ecology. Ms. Gilbert implied she was pleased, but surprised by the large turnout for the mosquito control permit hearing. The bureaucrats shouldn’t have been surprised or happy. They knew there would be hell to pay for their attempt to effectively stop the killing of adult mosquitoes in Eastern Washington and had scheduled the meeting in the fire hall at 1 p.m. on a work day. A room, that by law, can’t hold more than 60 people. That wasn’t an accident! By this strategy they hoped to downplay the opposition to their high-handed power grab.

In case anyone doesn’t know, the DOE is attempting to stop the spraying of adult mosquitoes within 300 feet of water. In their best Orwellian speak, they call this a permit but in fact we already have a permit and what this new dictate does is restrict our use of legal chemicals that has no harmful effects.

Those of you that have moved to the Columbia Basin in the last 20 years or so, can’t imagine what the mosquito problem would be like without our local mosquito control district, Evenings outdoors, water recreation, concerts in the parks would be impossible. I have lived and farmed here all my life and can remember literally being chased from the fields by mosquitoes so thick you couldn’t breath. Today we are occasionally stung by a pesky mosquito but have no idea what it was like before and will be again if the DOE carries out their politically correct plan to stop spraying.

Please send comments to Jonathan Jennings, DOE POB 47600 Olympia WA 98504-7600 or e-mail him at jonathonjennnings@ecy.wa.gov

Lew McCullough

Moses Lake