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

Month: September 2022


Let’s celebrate labor day by praising the ever-working beaver shall we? Never a day off and no supervisor needed. Beavers do all the work of their own accord. Molly Alves is a name we should recognize allowing beavers to do their work. Let’s hear what she has to say today.


Happy Sunday! Beavers are back in Maven’s notebook. Take a look this was written by our buddy Lisa Owens Viani.

California will spend big bucks on beavers to try to boost their numbers and reap some of the benefits—including slowing wildfire—these ecosystem engineers can provide.

After years of advocacy by beaver “believers,” the state has allocated funding for a beaver restoration program. The $1.67 million in license plate funds for fiscal year 2022-23 and $1.44 million the following year represents a new way of thinking about beaver management in California, says Kate Lundquist, of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center.

“Until recently, the Fish and Game Code has focused on recreational and commercial beaver trapping and permitting the depredation of nuisance beaver,” she explains. “I am excited that the Governor, the Natural Resources Agency, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are recognizing beaver and process-based restoration as legitimate nature-based solutions that can restore our watersheds, recover listed species, and make our state more resilient to droughts, wildfires, and climate change.”

Lundquist’s organization was one of more than 100 groups—including conservation and agricultural organizations, tribes, and others—that advocated for the funding allocation and for recognizing the benefits of beavers. The beaver restoration line item funds five new permanent CDFW positions and equipment for managing and monitoring the health of the state’s beavers, as well as relocating beavers as necessary. Chad Dibble, Deputy Director with CDFW, is particularly excited about the potential for beavers to help stem wildfires.

“Beavers are incredibly good at engineering dams that slow water down and spread it out,” he says. “This can help wet a larger area of land that is much greener and more lush than your typical side channel growth in water-restricted areas.”

That greening, says Dribble, can help stop wildfires moving through an area.

Well I wouldn’t say BIG bucks. I’m sure she just wanted the alliteration. I’d say Bite-sized bucks. And I wouldn’t say that “CDFW has focused on recreational trapping” Because our fur trapping industry hasn’t been a big problem for beavers in 50 years. I’d say CDFW has focused on “Inconvenience” trapping. But I agree that it’s time to do something new.

This is better.


Another great letter to the editor from Vermont.

Letter: Why are we killing the one animal that can increase wildlife habitat?

To the editor: “The conservation of the fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the people of Vermont.” That is the official mission statement of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. There is one animal that greatly facilitates the achievement of this mission: the North American beaver.

Beavers create some of the richest, most biologically productive habitats on earth, comparable to rainforests and coral reefs. For this reason, they are known as a “keystone” species for biodiversity. Yet recreational trapping, licensed by the Fish and Wildlife Department, kills over 1,000 beavers a year, on average, throughout the state. This recreational trapping is directly inimical to the Department’s stated mission, to conserve good wildlife habitat, because without the presence of beavers to maintain dams, they quickly erode and the valuable wetland habitat is lost.

To the editor: “The conservation of the fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the people of Vermont.” That is the official mission statement of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. There is one animal that greatly facilitates the achievement of this mission: the North American beaver.

Beavers create some of the richest, most biologically productive habitats on earth, comparable to rainforests and coral reefs. For this reason, they are known as a “keystone” species for biodiversity. Yet recreational trapping, licensed by the Fish and Wildlife Department, kills over 1,000 beavers a year, on average, throughout the state. This recreational trapping is directly inimical to the Department’s stated mission, to conserve good wildlife habitat, because without the presence of beavers to maintain dams, they quickly erode and the valuable wetland habitat is lost.

Well sure, if biodiversity and that kind of thing are important to you. Don’t forget to mention storing water, reducing fires and slowing floods too. That seems pretty important.

Moreover, recreational trapping is completely separate from the issue of how to deal with “nuisance” beavers whose dams block culverts, resulting in the flooding of town roads and private driveways. Almost all such conflicts can nowadays be resolved non-lethally, by means of water-flow control devices (WFCDs). Trapping is not a “solution” at all, since new beavers almost always move into the empty conflict site within 1-2 years. Only WFCDs can provide long-term, non-lethal solutions that are in fact far more cost effective than trapping.

From almost any perspective, beavers are far more valuable alive than dead. But a similar argument can be made for almost any other furbearer that is currently trapped. For example, foxes, coyotes, mink, weasels, bobcats, and other predators of mice are our first line of defense against Lyme Disease, which has its second highest incidence right here in Vermont. Moreover, Vermont’s apex predators such as coyotes and bobcats help prevent runaway population growth of herbivore species that can decimate local vegetation cover necessary for sustaining many other species.

Ahh well wfcg! I never heard them referred to that way before. But I agree with your point. In Martinez we installed a WFCD and it solved our problem for TFY.

Ten fricken years!

Wildlife belongs to all Vermonters, which is why it is important that ordinary citizens get involved in issues that impact their welfare. Trapping is one issue where a solid majority of Vermonters — 75 percent — agree that its harmful impacts upon animals —which include domestic as well as wild, since dogs and cats are routinely caught in leghold traps — far outweigh any perceived benefits to humans and therefore should be banned. Contact your local elected officials and ask them to make wildlife protection a priority!

John Aberth

Ahh nicely done. Now I would never weaken a good beaver argument by combining it with an anti=trapping statement, but I have to respect a good point when I see it. Nicely done, John. Beavers deserve lots of chances in Vermont.


More movies, I can year you saying. I want to see MORE movies about beavers. And some more stop motion video too showing their contribution to the ecosystem. Well VOX heard your request and decided to drop this interview with Emily Fairfax yesterday.

This is better than the last and does the best job explaining stream temperatures I’ve seen but it STILL doesn’t mention that their are tools to keep beavers in place rather than moving them. I’ve half a mind to hire Ian myself to make that movie!


This was a fun report yesterday, Today it is being picked up by all the science sites around the internet and even Yahoo news! Never mind that it’s not strictly accurate, I mean beavers might be moved in Utah but they still aren’t being moved in California. It’s a lofty goal to which we aspire. Right?

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