NEWS BRIEFS
April 13, 2018
MVCAC Spring Meeting
 
April 26-27, 2018
Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel

Hotel:
The room block is full and reservations at the group rate are now closed.

Transportation:
Shuttle service is available from the Reno Airport to South Lake Tahoe.  Cost is roughly $50 per person. 

Schedule:
Click here to view

For more information, please click here.
4/26/18 Board Meeting Agenda Packet Posted

Please  click here  to login and view the Board Meeting Agenda Packet.
In This Issue
Press Release: Mosquito Threats on the Rise and Californians are Nurturing the Threat
Mosquito Awareness Week educates California residents on preventing mosquito-borne viruses

SACRAMENTO, APRIL 13, 2018 - There has been a steep rise in detections of invasive mosquito species in California, according to the  California Department of Public Health, which increases the risk of local transmission of imported diseases. At the same time, lifted water restrictions in the state allows for the return to water practices by Californians that increase mosquito habitats.

Two invasive mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, have been found in nearly 200 cities in Southern and Central California and continue to spread throughout the state. This is a sharp increase from just five years ago when only four cities reported one of the invasive mosquito species. Both invasive species are capable of transmitting viruses that are dangerous to people such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika.

"With millions of international travelers arriving or returning to California each year and the spread of these invasive mosquito species across California, the potential for local transmission of imported diseases is increasing," said David Heft, President of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC).  "All it will take is one invasive mosquito biting one infected traveler for these diseases to potentially spread to others here at home. While surveillance and mosquito control activities are critical to protecting public health, the public also needs to do everything in their power to get rid of sources in their own communities where mosquitoes develop."

Click here to read the full press release.
NEW!  HR resources for districts to use and to upload information into

District  Managers - Please upload your HR resources and information into this Google Drive along with using it for your own district.

Click here to access the Google Drive.
SDLF Emerging Leaders Scholarship

The SDLF Emerging Leaders Scholarship - generously funded by Five Star Bank - covers registration fees for 15 attendees to CSDA's General Manager Leadership Summit, June 24 - 26, 2018 in Lake Tahoe. 
 
The fund is open to:
  • Special district staff members in a supervisor position or higher - who are not yet general managers
  • CSDA members and non-members
  • NEW! Now open to districts in ANY area of the state - was previously selected counties only
  • Districts of ANY budget size 
Learn more and apply here:  https://www.sdlf.org/scholarships
AMCA -  UAS in Mosquito Control Survey

Thanks to all who attended and supported the UAS symposium at the AMCA meeting in Kansas City. The presenters all did a fantastic job at presenting range of perspectives on the use of UAS in Mosquito Control. Please take a moment and fill out the first  UAS in Mosquito Control survey . This will give all of us a great snapshot of what the current use and interest level of UAS among AMCA members across the country. We can't do this without your participation. Whether or not you are even considering UAS at the moment, your opinion counts. We will keep the survey open until April 30 to allow ample time for everyone to weigh in. After that, the UAS committee will review the survey results and prepare a report for the AMCA board and membership. This should help to give us better idea of what role the UAS subcommittee and the AMCA in general needs to do to support UAS in Mosquito Control.
 
Joel Buettner , L&R UAS subcommittee Chair
General Manager
Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District
Survey for Bee Services

Northwest MVCD is taking a poll of how many agencies have a bee program.  

If your agency has a bee program: Does this bee program assist residents with bees on their property, serve public spaces only or serve both residential and public spaces? 

Please send your response to the survey questions above (and any questions or concerns) to Bill VanDyke at bvandyke@northwestmvcd.org  or call 951-340-9792 to discuss further.
MVCAC Partners on 2018 Special District Legislative Days
 
The MVCAC is a proud Partner of the 2018 Special Districts Legislative Days, scheduled for May 22-23 at the Sacramento Convention Center.
 
Gain the edge on policy changes impacting your agency and exchange ideas with California's top decision-makers at Legislative Days, an interactive and informative two-day legislative conference in our State's Capitol.
 
Day One: Advocacy Day
Get updated on what's happening in the Capitol, then join together with special district leaders from throughout California to take action on the priority issues facing special districts.  
  • Hear directly from State leadership on hot topics affecting local services and infrastructure.
  • Participate in pre-arranged meetings with State Legislators and staff in their Capitol offices, followed by a private reception.
  • Explore how decisions are really made in the Capitol and help shape their outcome.
 
Day Two: Policy Day
Gain insights from legal experts and CSDA lobbyists on the newest laws and legal challenges to come out of Sacramento.
  • Connect the action in the Capitol with the implementation in your community.
  • Drill into hot topics through breakout sessions on key issues, which may affect your district's revenue, governance, public works, or personnel.
  • Find answers to your tough questions from expert panels.
 
Register at legislativedays.csda.net before April 20 for an Early Bird Discount!
NPDES Coalition Report Filed with SWB
 
The 2017 NPDES Coalition Report was filed with the State Water Resources Control Board on behalf of the participating districts. You can access a copy of the report here (or by clicking below). If you have any questions or issues you can contact the MVCAC office.






Following several years of extended drought, San Joaquin County (SJC) experienced extraordinary rainfall in early 2017. Remnant water in rural and urban areas throughout the County, resulted in record numbers of Culex tarsalis, the primary carrier of West Nile virus (WNV). In addition, the areas which were impacted most by the flood waters were located in areas with significant historic WNV activity. Through the efforts of the entire staff of the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District (District), the early abundance of mosquitoes were effectively handled by aggressively decreasing the population before the warmer months began. In turn, we achieved our goal of protecting human health. The following is a brief synopsis of the event.

Submit your district for the next Agency Spotlight

D oes your agency have a success story, a staff member you would like to publicly recognize, or an innovation by your agency that you would like to highlight? "Agency Spotlight" on the MVCAC website is one way to share your story! Each submission which meets the specified criteria will be reviewed and posted on the MVCAC website on the Agency Spotlight page and highlighted on the homepage in the rotating feature box. Each story will remain posted for 1-2 months before being moved to a publicly archived page. 

Interested?  Click here   to fill out an application!

Applications can be submitted to the MVCAC office at mvcac@mvcac.org
MVCAC News Briefs - Zika Updates
Please note: The items contained below are not the views or opinions of MVCAC but they are what is being reported in the media.  The goal of MVCAC providing this information is to keep MVCAC members informed of all news articles that are being presented regarding Zika.

4/10/18: Orange County receives grant to fight Zika virus - The Orlando Sentinel
MVCAC News Briefs - Other Outbreaks
Please note: The items contained below are not the views or opinions of MVCAC but they are what is being reported in the media.  The goal of MVCAC providing this information is to keep MVCAC members informed of all news articles that are being presented regarding other outbreaks.

4/13/18: How one bacterium could fight mosquito-borne diseases - The California Aggie

4/11/18: Here's why the number of Merced County 'neglected pools' could bring more mosquitoes - The Merced Sun-Star

4/11/18: Blood-sucking, disease-spreading pests are breeding in your yard - will you stop them? - The York Daily Record

4/10/18: Mosquito spit can bust blood clots in mice - Science Magazine

4/10/18: Celebrate Mosquito Awareness Week with Open House In Burlingame - The Burlingame Patch

4/10/18: Where's the greatest risk of a mosquito bite in Baltimore? A surprising answer - National Science Foundation
Do you have important news to share about your district or mosquito and vector issues?  

If you would like your news to be included in the MVCAC News Briefs, please send press releases and/or links to relevant news articles to  mvcac@mvcac.org
Jobs

Interested in a career in mosquito and vector control? Check out the MVCAC Job Board  at  www.mvcac.org
 
Have a Job or RFP to post to MVCAC.org?  
Requests to post job listings (no more than 500 words in length) should be submitted to the webmaster at mvcac@mvcac.org.
MVCAC Sustaining Member Corner
Note: MVCAC does not endorse the products below, but we do support our Sustaining Members
Central Life Sciences has announced the release of Aqua Zenivex™ E20, a reduced-risk adulticide for mosquito control professionals.  

SUAS TRAINING Unmanned Aerial Systems for Mosquito Control Consolidated MAD:

Click here for more information