Assistant Director LCMCD Lehigh Acres, Florida, United States
Abstract: The Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD) is located in Southwest Florida and was established as an independent taxing district by an act of the Florida State Legislature in 1958. For the last sixty-five years, LCMCD has strived to be at the forefront of mosquito control utilizing a solid base of classic Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) techniques while developing and/or refining cutting edge techniques sensitive to Florida’s unique natural habitat, researching more efficient and effective ways to combat pestiferous and disease vector mosquitoes, and ensuring that Lee County citizens can enjoy a comfortable and safe outdoor environment. To continue the effort in utilizing emerging technologies as potential mosquito control techniques, LCMCD has identified Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology as having great potential for mosquito control. However, the State of Florida has grounded most operational drones effective January 1, 2023, per § 934.50 (7), Fla. Stat. (2021). This is due to the potential for adversarial countries to hack into unsecured critical UAS components to steal the data. This presentation will discuss LCMCD’s legislative and regulatory efforts over the last year to help ensure that UAS will continue to be a tool in the operational toolbox.
