The Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County conducts programs for the surveillance, prevention, abatement and control of mosquitoes and other vectors. To ensure the District’s programs remain effective, science-based, environmentally responsible, and responsive to evolving public health needs and regulatory requirements, the District is in the process of drafting an Integrated Mosquito Vector Management Plan ("IMVMP or the "Plan"). The Plan will serve as a comprehensive framework to guide the District’s activities and give the public a clear understanding of current practices and the District’s long-term strategy for protecting public health while safeguarding the environment.

The public will be invited to review and comment on the Plan. The tentative schedule below outlines when the IMVMP is planned for drafting, as well as the District’s anticipated timing for scoping meetings and opportunities for public input*.

* Note: This schedule is subject to change and may be updated accordingly.

Belding's Savannah Sparrows in the Goleta Slough

The District is committed to being good stewards of the environment. This includes taking reasonable measures to minimize the District’s impact on local habitats during the course of our mosquito management activities. As part of the District’s commitment, observations in the Goleta Slough of the State and Federally protected Belding’s Savannah Sparrow (BSS) are being recorded by biological consultants who accompany our staff as they conduct mosquito surveillance and management. The following information is an up-to-date record of BSS sightings during the current BSS breeding and nesting season:

Belding's Savannah Sparrow Breeding  Season Observations

*Note: this information is provided solely to inform the public of BSS observations made incidentally during mosquito surveillance and management activities in the Goleta Slough. These observations were not collected through formal BSS survey protocols and should not be interpreted as survey data. This dataset is not intended to replace results from dedicated BSS surveys, which follow established methodologies and sampling standards. The observations reflect only opportunistic sightings recorded during routine surveillance and treatment activities and should not be used to draw conclusions or assess population status that require systematic survey data.*