Yesterday’s Rutland Herald article by Will Mathis, Director of Operations of the BLSG Insect Control District included new information about requesting that no pesticides be sprayed along private property in the district. Last week, BLSG published notices in the local newspapers that insect control operations will happen this year, and that landowners could request that their property be a “no spray zone.” Similar details about the opt-out program are posted at the BLSG website.
In yesterday’s article, very different rules were described. Instead of a deadline of “early April” for making your request, the article states that “We will accept and process requests anytime during the season.”
Instead of requiring that a letter and property map be mailed to BLSG, the article states that “Any citizen can opt out by calling 247-6779.”
These are welcome changes because they make it easier for landowners to opt out of spraying, and make it possible for new residents arriving in the summer to opt out.
When a resident opts out of roadside spraying, it creates some extra work for BLSG staff. The property boundaries must be marked along the road with “stop and start” stakes, which must be removed at the end of the season. Learning where these stakes should be installed often requires meeting with the landowner at the property.
We encourage landowners who plan to opt out to do so before early April so the BLSG staff has time to mark the properties before the mosquito season gets underway. We are just about at the end of early April, so if you have been considering opting out, this might be a good time. More information about opting out is here.