Rounds finds more money for mosquito control

By Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Thursday, June 19, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

The man in charge of Rapid City’s fight against mosquitoes will take another $39,842 the state is giving him for mosquito control, but he’d rather use it for something besides chemical and equipment.

“I’m confident we’ll use it, I’m just not sure how at this point,” said Lon VanDeusen, manager of Rapid City’s parks division.

What VanDeusen could really use is the flexibility to use the additional funding for gas and man-hours to attack mosquito havens.

VanDeusen learned Wednesday that Gov. Mike Rounds has allocated another $202,443 for mosquito control in areas coping with the aftermath of extreme rains and flooding.

Rounds tapped into the State Disaster fund to find the extra money, according to a news release.

The money is designated for chemical and equipment, according to Tom Martinec, director of the state Division of Health Systems Development and Regulation.

“We’re trying to control mosquitoes,” Martinec said.

Martinec said the state expects local governments to cover fuel and man-hour costs for mosquito control.

Local governments will be receiving a check to cover the latest grant awards, Martinec said.

Rapid City used an earlier allocation of $39,843 to buy $26,000 worth of mosquito control chemicals. The remaining money was used to purchase an all-terrain vehicle and sprayer.

Rather than receiving a check for the chemicals, the city ordered the chemicals and the bills were paid by the state, VanDeusen said.

“One of the tricky parts to this is you order all of this chemical, and where do you store it?” he said.

VanDeusen said his first application for assistance was based on mosquito- control practices used in previous years. He’s not sure what to expect this year, so the additional money could be needed.

“This year is obviously starting out as perhaps a prime mosquito breeding year,” he said.

The following communities are included in the latest round of mosquito control awards:

Belle Fourche: $6,026.

Bison: $1,349

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe: $2,500

Faith: $996

Fort Pierre: $2,596

Isabel: $596

Lemmon: $1,859

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe: $2,500

Martin: $1,942

Newell: $2,058

Nisland: $1,082

Philip: $1,854

Rapid City: $39,842

Rosebud Sioux Tribe: $2,500

Spearfish: $6,642

Sturgis: $4,976

Wall: $1,327

Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com