Rye Select Board hears debate over tick-spraying on town trails; joint meeting with Conservation Commission planned

At the May 26 meeting, Tim Sanborn, chair of the Mosquito Control Commission, told the Select Board that the Conservation Commission had asked to stop pesticide spraying on town trails and read a letter from the Town's Public Health Officer, Dr. Gail Snow, urging reconsideration. According to the letter read by Sanborn, "it is essential for the Town to consider spraying again this year, as New Hampshire is one of the highest states in the U.S. for Lyme Disease with over 1,700 cases reported in 2025."

Sanborn said the trail spraying began in 2018 with support from the RCC and that the mosquito control budget includes a line for the treatment; he told the Board that applications are performed by licensed applicators and fall under the oversight of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental Services. Resident Susan Shepcaro said the spraying was undertaken to protect children walking to and from Washington Road via the Town Forest and reported she had not heard of issues with the program; signs are posted in advance of sprayings.

Selectman John Tuttle outlined relevant governance points, citing RSA 31:112 on town-forest management and noting that the Board of Health (the Select Board together with the Town Health Officer) had weighed in. Tuttle said the Select Board can override the Conservation Commission's decision and the Board agreed to schedule a joint meeting with the Conservation Commission to resolve authority, public-health concerns and whether spraying will continue.

The public record in the meeting indicates competing priorities: public-health protection for trail users and children versus conservation concerns about pesticide use. The Select Board did not take a final vote; it agreed to further discussion at a joint meeting with the Conservation Commission.