Do you think it might suffer from a rare form of intelligence immunity?Ontario is going to be nice to wildlife. Except for beavers. Beavers are a pain in the aspen. They hate themselves some beavers.

Beavers left unprotected by new wildlife strategy, says advocate

The City of Ottawa is updating its wildlife management strategy to better handle human-wildlife interactions and protect natural habitats — but the lack of big changes to how beavers are dealt with could prove controversial.

The revised strategy includes measures such as increased public education, enhanced monitoring of wildlife diseases, and new protocols for encounters with large mammals. 

Specific changes include partnerships with wildlife organizations and the creation of a “wildlife resource specialist” position to lead these efforts.

But it’s beaver management that’s likely going to be the “most contentious piece” of the report, said Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr, the vice-chair of the city’s environment and climate change committee.

Wait, let me guess. Does your new beaver policy involve a conibear trap  and a shovel?

Yeah we know that one.

Wildlife advocates have had long-standing issues with how reliant the city is on using lethal methods to deal with troublesome beavers. When the presence or actions of an animal pose a risk to public health and safety, the city’s service providers can use lethal trapping.

According to the proposed new wildlife strategy, the city will “maintain current beaver management solutions in municipal drains and stormwater systems and evaluate beaver management practices in other locations.”

“Beaver management requests are assessed using a risk-based approach on a case-by-case basis, with beaver trapping considered as a last resort,” the report says.

Beavers are a “complex issue,” Carr said, as their dams can contribute to flooding, negatively impact the city’s stormwater infrastructure and obstruct city drains and culverts. Ottawa’s approach to handling beavers is significantly influenced by the Provincial Drainage Act, Carr said. 

The law requires municipalities to keep drainage systems working properly to prevent flooding and protect both farmland and infrastructure.The city employs trappers licensed by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources as a flood control measure, and the ministry recommends lethal trapping, according to the city’s website. 

By ‘COMPLEX ISSUE’ er mean something we want to kill without drawing unwanted media attention. GET IT?

“We are hampered by provincial legislation in terms of stopping [how we trap] beavers,” Carr said.

“I’m hopeful that the new position of the wildlife resource officer … will be able to assist in making some recommendations and work with organizations like the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre.”

Yup. Our hands are tied. We WOULD save beavers by wrapping trees and installing flow devices you know, but that darned drainage law just makes that impossible. Shoot!

I’m so old I remember when we first introduced the centre to flow devices and made friends with Donna.

Donna DuBreuil, the president of the centre, described the city’s approach to beaver management as “draconian.” 

DuBreuil said she advocates for a preventative approach that would keep beavers “on the landscape” by installing flow devices, which are currently being used in cities across North America.  

• • Wildlife spotted in unusual areas as flood waters push creatures out of homes

The devices prevent flooding, DuBreuil said, while also allowing beavers to continue providing benefits to the environment like preserving and enhancing wetlands.

“Here we are, the nation’s capital, still doing something that shouldn’t have been done for the last 50 years,” she added. 

I would think that if a city had to learn the same lesson OVER AND OVER again it would eventually get smarter. Wouldn’t you?

Apparently not so much.