When I trotted unwarily into the beaver biz a lifetime ago,  I learned a lot by accident. I learned that ‘Beaver Deceiver’ was a catchy name, but it wasn’t what we had in Martinez. A beaver deceiver was a specific device invented by Skip Lisle to protect culverts. Technically it works not by ‘deceiving’ beavers, but by thwarting them. (Unfortunately beaver thwarter doesn’t really rhyme) I learned from Skip Lisle that correct naming was important and people could get very irritated very quickly if I used the wrong word. What Skip installed in Martinez was a “Castor Master” and I am always careful to call it that.

At the same time that I was learning this new language from Skip, I was also talking to Mike Callahan and getting his language as well. His version comparable to the ‘Castor Master’ was a ‘Flexible Leveler’ which evolved over the years into ‘Pond Leveler”. He protected culverts with a “Culvert protective fence”, which didn’t rhyme but did describe its function.

Since using any one of these names defined either Skip’s or Mike’s work specifically, there needed to be a generic term that was less territorial. Something that was easily understood and didn’t step on anyone’s toes. Skip told me the generic was “Flow device” and I’ve been using that religiously when describing how to manage beaver behavior. I would say Mike’s preference for a generic term was “Beaver Management”, and I have used that as well.

But I’ve recently come to the conclusion that both these generic terms have limited usefulness.

For whatever reason when you say “Beaver management” people think “Beaver killing”, or weeding out some portion of the too large population. Like “Rodent management” or “Deer management”. So I obviously don’t like that term. And I recently learned that when you say “Flow Device” to Fish and Game they imagine something so technical and engineering-based that they won’t let you install it without a stream altering permit. Because, it’s a DEVICE so it must be complicated! (Thanks Sherry Guzzi for pointing that out!)

This morning I thought. We need a new word to generically describe something you do to either prevent beavers from building in a place you can’t stand, or control the way they can build in a place you can stand. You aren’t sure yet whether to use Mike or Skip’s techniques. I’ve decided to invite you all to the unveiling of this new word. I have give this exactly 7 years of thought.

mitigate

I’m proposing that we discuss using “Beaver Mitigation”  in these situations where we aren’t yet sure yet which technique is needed and we want a way to say that something could be done to prevent flooding. It has the added advantage of making it clear that the point of the tool isn’t to make the beavers leave, but lessen harmful consequences of them being there.  After you’ve reviewed the site and you know what is needed or what was already used you could substitute for the specific name. But until you’re sure, you could use the term “Beaver Mitigation” to communicate that the property owner in question has options that will take care of his/her interests and prevent flooding.

Beaver Mitigation means there’s something that can be done.

I am liking this word. It is true that mitigate is not exactly your average vocabulary, but everyone’s heard of “Mitigating Circumstances” and a single Law and Order episode will tell you that they are good to have because they make the punishment less severe, so I don’t think its out of any one’s grasp.

I don’t really know how names get started, and I don’t install these things or invent them. But I do write about them and talk about them to a lot of people.  I’ve been religiously using other peoples’ language for 7 years, during which I’ve written nearly 3000 columns about beavers and 700 letters to city officials.

If anyone is entitled to use a new name, I’d say I am.

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field;