4 POSTER STUDY by THE FIRE ISLAND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION TO REDUCE TICK POPULATION      

 By Bradlee White

                                                                                             

The Fire Island Wildlife Foundation (FIWF) is seeking support for an important scientific study aimed at drastically reducing tick populations and the concomitant tick-borne diseases.  The non-profit Foundation is part of a multi-year study being conducted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, and overseen by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).  There are already positive results with the 4-Poster pesticide application device: FIWF hopes that, once the study results are in, NYSDEC will permit its use throughout New York State.

 

This year the Fire Island National Seashore has allowed the installation of only 4 devices in 2 western communities.  However, through careful placement and community cooperation, FIWF believes all the deer in the western area will find the devices.  Robert Moses State Park, which joined the FIWF in this effort, has an additional 4 sites. 

 

 Expenditures, including purchase of devices, materiel, corn, pesticide and the FI portion of the Study have been shared by Saltaire, the Fair Harbor/Dunewood Medical District and the State Park.  At the start of the project in 2007, the Foundation applied all previously received donations from several FI communities, including Kismet, for start-up costs.  There have been in-kind, voluntary contributions for the servicing of the devices, the construction of enclosure fences and transportation and storage of corn and devices.  While the eKismet Community Association did not allocate funds at its recent May meeting,  homeowners voiced support for the project and great concern over the tick problem, indicating that they had been affected by ticks and tick-born disease,  expressing a willingness to support a voluntary fund-raising effort to support this promising technology.

 

This appeal is targeted to everyone, not only residents of the western communities.  FIWF firmly believes that the 4-Poster will be proven to be the most effective technology available to address the problem of ticks and that it’s expanded use will be approved.  Ticks are everywhere and they do not discriminate between homeowners, renters, visitors or pets. 

 

Contributions may be sent to:                                                        

Fire Island Wildlife Foundation, Inc.

218 Lafayette St.  2^nd Floor    

New York, NY 10012