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Rye debate over tick spraying: health officials urge continuation; conservation commission opposes insecticides on conservation land
Summary
Rye health officials and the mosquito-control contractor urged continuation of targeted tick spraying in the Town Forest, citing Lyme disease concerns; the Conservation Commission said it has a standing prohibition on insecticides for RCC-managed land and will re-evaluate the practice at its next meeting.
Rye public-health and mosquito-control officials told a joint Select Board/Conservation Commission meeting on June 2 that a targeted tick-spraying program in the Town Forest should continue, while conservation commissioners warned that broad insecticide use harms pollinators and water quality.
Mosquito Control Commission Chair Tim Sanborn said the existing program dates to 2018 and targets a 40–50-foot swath of trail—about 5 acres—out of the Town Forest’s roughly 200 acres. “Dr. Snow feels strongly that the Town should continue to spray for ticks,” Sanborn said, citing 1,700 Lyme Disease cases in New Hampshire in 2025 as context for public-health concerns.
Rye Health Officer Dr. Gail Snow confirmed she recommends continuation of spraying and described the public-health risks posed by deer ticks and tick-borne disease in the region. Dragon Mosquito Control’s Sarah MacGregor explained the product and application method, noting applications are not made over water and that trailheads are posted when spraying occurs; she also said the contractor applies treatments to certain school and recreation sites before events.
Conservation Commission Chair Shawn Joyce said conservation lands are managed to protect habitat, pollinators and water quality; he said the RCC voted unanimously to prohibit insecticide use on RCC-managed properties except in a public-health emergency (for example, an EEE outbreak) and urged use of personal protective measures instead. “Broad-based spraying for mosquitos and ticks is generally restricted near ecologically sensitive areas,” Joyce said, adding that insecticides can kill butterflies, fireflies and other beneficial insects and can impact aquatic life.
Public commenters were split: some residents said the treated trail provides a safer walking route for children between the junior high and recreation fields and urged continuation of spraying; others urged the RCC to stand by its conservation charter and to require any exceptions to be narrowly and clearly defined.
Board and commission members agreed to place the topic on the RCC’s next agenda for further consideration. No change in town-wide policy or new authorization was adopted at the joint meeting; the RCC will revisit whether and how to allow exceptions for spraying on conservation-managed properties.
Next steps: the RCC will discuss the spraying request at its next meeting and the Select Board and Mosquito Control Commission may provide additional information on health data, spray protocols and alternatives.
