Abstract
When developing a plan to restore or modify a wetland within the Pacific Northwest of the United States (PNW), land managers must consider all of the potential ecological impacts, including the unintended production of mosquitoes which can adversely impact the health of people and wildlife in the area. Case studies in this article highlight mitigation activities conducted in cooperation with local mosquito control professionals for water conveyances in the states of Washington and Oregon that effectively minimize production of mosquitoes in managed wetlands. Communicating with mosquito control professionals early in the wetland restoration planning process can save valuable time and resources if the restored wetland becomes an ideal breeding site for pestiferous mosquitoes. By preventing unintentional mosquito production, resources that would be spent controlling mosquitoes and responding to public health concerns post restoration could be redirected towards achieving the overall mission of the wetland restoration. The authors will demonstrate how mosquito control professionals and wetland managers worked cooperatively to achieve mutually-beneficial results, while complying with all local, state, and federal regulations. The following broad steps for a wetland restoration project are recommended: (1) Create a long-term vision for the project; (2) Build a team of collaborators and gather stakeholders; (3) Outline the regulatory guidelines; (4) Prepare required planning documents/acquire permits; (5) Conduct project, while monitoring (target and non-target) impacts including mosquitoes; and (6) Periodically review environmental impacts.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors recognize Tina Blewett, Greg Green, and Steve Liske of Ducks Unlimited® for their collaboration and extensive knowledge of wetland project planning which will help guide future projects. Thank you to Stephen Ingalls, Clive LePage, and Kevin Shoemaker for providing historical knowledge, editorial expertise, and data analysis respectively. This work would not be possible without the inspiration and support of William Walton, Ph.D.; thank you, Bill, for masterfully merging the worlds of wetland management and mosquito control.
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The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
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Beehler, A., Markowski, D., Crowder, M. et al. Controlling mosquitoes through innovative and collaborative wetland management practices in the Pacific Northwest. Wetlands Ecol Manage 30, 975–985 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-021-09807-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-021-09807-7