>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Union County Vector Control is asking for a little boost in its funding in order to continue efforts to combat mosquitoes, some of which will be carrying West Nile virus. The increase from 12 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to 16 cents, an increase of $4 a year — the equivalent of a gallon of gas — for a $100,000 property, makes sense. Voters should approve the request on the May 20 ballot.

Let’s face it. Union County is an oasis in Eastern Oregon. We have wetlands. We have water. We’re not the high, dry desert that is most of Eastern Oregon. And for that we can be thankful.

But being such an oasis also makes us an open invitation to mosquitoes. Last year we saw the greatest prevalence of West Nile in   mosquitoes of any county in Oregon — despite the attempts at biological controls that the vector board and the folks at Ladd Marsh have implemented.

Such efforts don’t come without costs, however. The vector board must continue efforts to abate the mosquito problem with larvicide and efforts to get the word out to residents about reducing their threat from virus-infected bugs. Efforts must continue at the marsh to build the bird population that will eventually reduce the number of mosquitoes.

The more the vector board can do to minimize the risk, the less likely it will be that aerial spraying over communities will be likely. Such a move, the board says, is a last resort.

“We try to be preventative rather than reactive,’’ Vector Board President Shirley Roberts told The Observer.

Residents need to give the board the funding it needs to do its job, including preventative measures. Vote yes on the vector board’s local option levy. An increase of $4 a year for a $100,000 property makes sense.