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Historical Timeline

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Early 1900s: The San Rafael Improvement Club is in charge of mosquito control.

1903-1905: Research on salt marsh mosquitoes was conducted in Marin County by Professor C. W. Woodworth (1903) and by Professor H. J. Quayle (1905).

May 25, 1915: California State Legislature passed the Mosquito Abatement Act. This act permitted local governments to collect revenues and form special districts to protect the public from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases.

November 6, 1915: The first district in California is formed: Mosquito Abatement District No. 1; also known as the Marin Mosquito Abatement District (MAD).

Maso Map of district

1976: MAD annexed  the central area of Sonoma County, becoming the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito Abatement District.

1981:  District headquarters is relocated from San Rafael to Petaluma.

1982:  The Town of Sonoma and its surrounding areas are annexed into the District.

1995:  MAD changes its name to Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District (MSMVCD) to reflect the additional services now offered to the public. Those services include eradication of in-ground yellowjacket nests and provision of rodent control advice.

2000: District headquarters moves again, this time from Petaluma to the present location in Cotati.

2004: Voters approve annexation of all the unincorporated areas of Marin and Sonoma counties, forming Benefit Assessment District #2. This allows for vector control services to be made available to all residents of the two counties.

The District now services approximately 763,000 residents in a nearly 2,300 square mile service area. Each year the District responds to over 4,500 requests for service from the public.