29 - An optimist sees an opportunity with every difficulty: the Lee County Mosquito Control District shifts from UAS to Helicopters for LiDAR Operations.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are commonly used in mosquito control districts nationwide. There are many uses that have been implemented into an Integrated Mosquito Management program and those uses change with each organization. In 2021, the Lee County Mosquito Control District in Southwest Florida pushed the limits of UAS to include LiDAR operations. After a hard stop of UAS operations in Florida, initiated by state legislation in 2022, LCMCD shifted to manned helicopters to collect LiDAR data. With this new perspective, we found that our UAS equipped to carry the LiDAR is outmatched by the helicopter. This presentation will discuss operational use of LiDAR and how this technology is currently used at the Lee County Mosquito Control District.