As we head into primary season, it’s always good to remember the importance of Iowa and how essential it is to have a good ‘ground game’ there.
Um, also a good “water game” apparently.
N’West Iowa flooding bringing beavers
REGIONAL—Recent flooding in N’West Iowa has paved the way for the castor canadensis — also known as the North American beaver — to become more visible.
Beavers have been spotted creating habitation in the ditch west of Agropur in Hull and have caused landowner Lyle Peelen of rural Sibley to express concerns to the Osceola County Board of Supervisors.
Osceola County supervisor chair Jayson Vande Hoef said the county will not take action on a matter taking place on private land.
Did you ever notice how when the beavers are on municipal land there suddenly terribly dangerous and require all kinds of taxpayer dollars to prevent emergencies, but if their on some Jim or Mary’s land there’s nothing they can do.
“It does not seem appropriate to take on additional expenses,” Vande Hoef said.
He said the primary concern was that the beaver will have an impact on tile drainage.
Vande Hoef said if there is a possibility for counties to request extended beaver trapping seasons, then that would be something to consider — if the problem becomes bigger. The next beaver trapping season in the state is Nov. 2-April 5 and there is no limit, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Meanwhile near Hull, city administrator Jim Collins said no landowners have complained about the beavers that have taken up residency.
Ahh beavers are so nice to have on the landscape. Of course we’d pay to kill them if more landowners/voters cared about the issue. But since it’s just you you’re something out of luck.
Isn’t nature great?
“It is nice to see wildlife coexisting and proliferating with us,” Collins said. “I can remember a time when it was rare to see bald eagles, turkeys and beavers anywhere in Iowa. It is great to see their resurgence.”
You followed that right? When beavers cause problems we kill them quickly, but there’s no way this county is picking up the tab for anything unless our necks are on the line. And since there not, we’re suddenly going to appreciate the hell out of nature.
Call it the “David Attenborough Defense”.
Sarah Davelaar is the Sioux County Conservation officer. A fan of beavers, Davelaar said the animal is an incredible species.
“There are so many interesting facts on beavers it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the one thing is that makes beavers so cool,” she said.
Now of course we all agree with Sarah about this, but I have to laugh at the transparent bullshit of it all. We can count on zero fingers the number of times Counties have stopped complaining about beavers Long enough to pause and consider how valuable they are to see on the landscape.
Hands are being washed in Iowa.
Rusty Cohn of Napa has been keeping track of the Tulocay beavers who have at the moment started work downstream of the hotels and are hanging out across from the parking lot at the black bear diner. It’s lovely to see the summer green growth surrounding beavers again. They are such lucky residents.
