Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

Day: April 19, 2021


It must be spring. I woke up with a tick crawling down my arm.

Jon of course brought her back on the dog with his daily tick collecting-walk on the Franklin ridge trail. but it does worry me to find want walking about in the morning. Was I so unappetizing all night? Do i have some rare blood disorder that ticks find repulsive? Was it that second shot of Moderna? Or am I just lucky?

There are plenty of unlucky beavers out there that’s for darn sure. Like these in Idaho where they can’t possibly be bothered to ‘wrap’ the trees.

Pullman, beavers not getting along

The city of Pullman is planning to work with trappers to prevent beavers from causing more damage to trees at a local park.

The city received calls from residents about trees being chewed up and damaged at the City Playfield next to the South Fork Palouse River in early spring, said Pullman Parks and Facilities Director Alan Davis.

The damage presents a safety issue at the park as damaged trees hang near a walking path and hover over the river.

However, Davis said the signs of beaver damage are not always obvious.

No. They are. Really they are. First the tree is upright. An then it’s knocked over. You’ll notice right away I’m pretty sure. If that little bark damage is what’s making you think you have beavers then I’d think again.

To prevent further destruction, Pullman Parks and Recreation staff and code enforcement officers from the Pullman Police Department plan to enter into a service agreement with licensed trappers to set live traps for the beavers.

In order to keep costs down, Pullman staff will monitor those traps so the trappers do not have to do so regularly.

It’s too much of a burden for them to actually FINISH their job. It’s enough that they just start it I guess. Never mind any harm to that otter or labrador who was caught by mistake. Staff will just give you a call if we see a body. If we remember.

Unlike Washington, where they have slightly more of a clue.

Longview parks, recreation officials plan to trap beavers damaging trees at Lake Sacajawea

People walking, biking, boating or fishing at Lake Sacajawea recently may have noticed more trees missing bark, sporting bite marks or fallen into the water.

It’s unlikely folks will spot the culprits — beavers — but the Longview Parks and Recreation Department has received several reports about the damage, said Parks and Urban Forestry Manager Joanna Martin.

“There’s always wildlife at the lake. It’s not abnormal to have beavers,” she said.

Well yes. It is normal to have beavers. Nice lake, Tasty trees. Quiet park setting. I think you should expect beavers. In fact I think you should PLAN on them.

Beavers begin to cause problems when they damage too many trees and when the trees could fall onto the heavily trafficked path, Martin said.

“If a tree is looking like it’s going to fall into the lake, we will leave that alone and let the beaver do that,” she said. “But if it’s going to fall into the park or onto the pathway, we will cut it down and remove it.”

Okay. That’s generally good. But the ‘remove it’ philosophy only gets you so far.

The department has managed the beavers by trapping and relocating them outside the park, Martin said. In the last few months, the department hasn’t been able to trap beavers because the staff member with the license to do so did not want to renew it, she said.

Martin said she began looking into the potential beaver problem when the department started receiving reports about damaged trees in February.

So it’s washington and you have the ability to MOVE the offending beaver. Of course its are coming soon so you probably can’t do it now anyway. Hey you know what happens when you move tenants out of a nice apartment and leave the door open? YOU GET MORE TENANTS.

Why not fix the problem by protecting those trees an let the beavers stay? Maybe get some help from the local high school planting willow along the edges of the lake that beavers can harvest?

The state department issues relocation permits when efforts to limit beaver damage are unsuccessful, when beavers pose a health and safety risk or other “irresolvable factors” exist, according to the state website.

Some how this does not strike me as UNRESOLVABLE.

Let’s watch something fun to get the stupid taste out of our mouths. This shows the wildlife crossing a beaver dam. From Voyageurs national park.

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