Category: Attitudes towards beavers

TED WILLIAMS DOESN’T LIKE BEAVERS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers October 10, 2023

Some days it seems like we are racing to keep up with all the good beaver news and some days. well, are more like this: scarred by negative articles in which smart people say stupid things about beavers to a very gullible audience. Brace yourself…

OPINION: Are beavers always the answer? Not really.

Beavers, through their assiduous dam building, can recharge groundwater and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. In the Pacific Northwest, for example, managers are bringing back beaver as part of trout and salmon management.

“God bless beavers and their industrious nature,” writes Trout Unlimited’s Idaho-based Chris Hunt in Hatch magazine. “They make habitat for the fish we love, and opportunities to catch them.” True enough, in Idaho.

But the notion, ubiquitous in America, that all beavers everywhere are a panacea for what ails an ecosystem is misinformed. Yes, beavers are beneficial — in the right places.

For those of you playing along at home you should already be guessing who wrote this article and what comes next. Ted Williams is a revered writer about fly fishing and audubon and all things water. If you search for his name on this website you will find that he has given his opinions on beavers many times before…

Consider the debacle in Nevada. This from Kim Toulouse, the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s former conservation educator: “Historically, virtually every stream in the northern half of Nevada held some form of cutthroat trout. Additionally, many small-order streams also held native redband and bull trout. When the push started (for trout recovery) we discovered that many single-order streams were infested with heavy populations of beavers.

Infested? Great use of objective scientific language there Kim. How do you really feel about beavers? I’m not sure I can tell…

“Extremely high numbers of beaver dams on these systems led to loss of gene flow and precluded the ability of fish to move up and down these systems. Additionally, fish found it difficult to find suitable spawning grounds due to heavy siltation caused by the dams. The loss of riparian habitat led to erosion, more siltation, less shade, higher water temperatures, loss of native riparian vegetation, and establishment of noxious invasive plants.” So Nevada initiated major beaver control. But politicians, incited by the Humane Society of the U.S., shut it down.

Because you know what a crazy strong force THE HUMANE SOCIETY is in NEVADA for god sakes. They practically write the laws. I mean that’s the story we tell ourselves in my state of Massachusetts so Nevada must be exactly the same, right?

Beaver damage to Minnesota and Wisconsin trout streams is even worse. Fisheries managers have to hire Wildlife Services, a federal agency, to trap beavers and blow up dams. It’s expensive, so only a small percentage of streams can be salvaged.

And Trout Unlimited reports that in Minnesota’s Knife River watershed, “artificially high beaver numbers…threaten the survival of coldwater fisheries, as well as the health of the watershed and Lake Superior.” But an outfit ironically called “Advocates for the Knife River Watershed” is fighting to nix beaver control, circulating junk science and such fictions as “beaver have been totally eradicated in the whole Knife River valley — over 200 square miles.”

Oh my goodness. Those crazy beaver lovers are taking over the world. And how exactly are the high numbers of beavers artificial? Are you implying they were introduced?

California’s Silver King Creek watershed is the only refuge for threatened Paiute cutthroat trout, yet overpopulated beavers block migration and destroy habitat. It got so bad in Four-Mile Creek that Trout Unlimited volunteers had to reroute the stream.

If you were to look this up you’d find an article from trout unlimited which says that beavers are NOT NATIVE to the sierras and were INTRODUCED so they blocked all those cutthroat from getting around…NEVER MIND research…

“The biggest problem I see is that beavers move into an area that doesn’t have enough forage, and they abandon their dams,” said retired state fisheries biologist Bill Sommer. “When beavers leave, the dams blow out and that causes erosion.”

You mean the biggest problem is when beavers leave? Is that what you’re saying?

Aldo Leopold could grasp two realities about deer simultaneously. Were he still alive, he’d applaud Phil Monahan, who wrote this in Trout Unlimited’s Trout Magazine: “Many anglers see the beavers’ work as predominately destructive — turning a babbling trout stream into a slow-moving wetland, for instance. Wildlife biologists recognize that each of these ‘destructive’ effects has a flip side: situations in which that very same effect is beneficial to trout.

“After looking at all the data, then, the question, ‘Are beavers good or bad for trout streams?’ can be answered only with a definitive: ‘It depends.’”

It depends? Are you sure you want to leave it so open ended Ted? You haven’t said a single good thing about beavers yet so how exactly does it “Depend”? Of course never mind that deep pools made by the beavers don’t dry up in the summer or freeze in the winter. Just leave all that water business aside. Beavers are bad. You know it and only the supreme power of the humane society makes people like them.

Best part is that this article runs along side a photo of a nutria. Which I believe is fully illustrative of how much Ted Williams understands about this subject.

NAPA KITS BROWSE

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers October 8, 2023

Nice video this morning from Rusty Cohn of Napa who caught two kits having dinner down town last nignt, well for them I guess it was breakfast…

CARBONDALE CO: PRETTY AND SMART!

Carbondale Colorado, just outside of aspen, is just about as pretty as you’d imagine it with all the mountain trimmings and clear waters to give it fame. I imagine that has something to do with the beavers who are causing a bit of a stir in the area. Fortunately they’ve had some great training from Sherri Tippie and her many disciples…

Beaver dams wreak havoc in Carbondale Nature Park

The serene ambiance of Carbondale Nature Park is currently marred by an unintended consequence of nature’s course. A diligent group of beavers, native to the 33-acre valley park, have constructed dams, causing blockage in the culverts and resulting in significant flooding. These circumstances have not only impacted public areas but have also impacted private property access, forcing officials and residents to seek immediate solutions.

Culverts logged

Carbondale Parks & Recreation Director Eric Brendlinger painted a vivid picture of the challenges the town is grappling with. Beavers have effectively blocked a couple of culverts on the town property. Water, unable to find its regular course, has been rerouted.

“We have a couple of culverts there that have been blocked on our town property,” Brendlinger said. “The damming by the beavers has flooded out that road too. We’re just going to have to wait until the water drops to assess what to do about that for the future.”

That doesn’t exactly sound like havoc to me, unless your definition of havoc is “doing what everyone expects and what improves the environment“. From the headline I assumed beavers were tossing molotov cocktails and shooting beer cans in the streets. Well, let’s see how this unwanted behavior is handled shall we?

Potential solutions are being considered as the town braces to address this unexpected challenge. “Beaver deceivers” could play a pivotal role. These devices employ siphon technology to manage and control the water level, preventing flooding without disrupting the beavers’ natural dam-building activities.

“These devices will effectively manage the water levels, preventing flooding while allowing beavers to thrive,” Brendlinger said. “It’s a solution that respects both our community’s needs and the natural ecosystem.”

Don’t you just love it when characters are introduced to a familiar story that actually know how to solve things??? I sure do.

Action to address the damming and resultant flooding is contingent on the water levels receding. The town has scheduled to turn off its ditches on Oct. 16, which will facilitate a reduction in water levels and provide access for a detailed assessment of the situation.

“We turn off our ditches on Oct. 16,” Brendlinger said. “That will help and then just, of course, natural water level drops allowing us to get access to assess the impact.”

While the beavers’ industrious activities are causing some consternation, the issue is currently localized, impacting the park and adjacent private properties. The town remains committed to addressing the problem without causing harm to the beavers or their natural habitat.

“It’s one of those things, where we are trying to coexist with nature but it can be difficult at times,” Brendlinger said.

As the town of Carbondale anticipates a resolution to the conflict of nature versus human convenience, the beavers, oblivious to the stir their dams have caused, continue their industrious work.

How’s that for a nice story. Here’s the problem. Here’s the solution. Here’s why we want to cooperate with beavers.

Have a nice day.

MUSICAL BEAVERS IN WYOMING

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers September 25, 2023

In 15 years of beaver watching I’ve become more disillusioned about relocation. Too often it involves risk: whether in the housing unit, without protection once released. or in the spaces their expected to settle. Does it work? Sometimes. Is it worth it? Sometimes. Is it kinder than killing the beavers outright? Sometimes.

When I think about relocation I remember what the elves told Frodo about advice. “Advice is a dangerous gift even from the wise to the wise.”

Besides the risk there’s the futility. The landowner who wants these beavers gone will just get new ones soon. Better to fix a problem than to move it.

Wyoming Halfway House Rehabilitates Instead Of Kills Delinquent Beavers

A halfway house for delinquent beavers is under construction at the Wyoming Game and Fish facility in Cody.

The beavers that will be temporarily housed there aren’t hardened criminals, they’re just doing the job nature intended them to do. But that work often includes knocking down shade trees around homes, building dams and sometimes plugging culverts and flooding roads.

What makes beavers a nuisance is when their work conflicts with civilization. This new relocation facility will temporarily house them until they can be moved to more suitable neighborhoods.

Jenny DeSarro, executive director of Wyoming Untrapped, a Jackson non-profit, said beavers provide a “huge” ecological value to Wyoming.

“We feel like it’s a win-win for everybody when we can keep beavers on the landscape,” she said. “Beaver relocation is a better alternative to lethal removal.”

DeSarro said beavers help replenish aquifers and create habitat for many other animals including moose, waterfowl and fish.

Wyoming Untrapped contributed about $10,000 to the construction of the new facility. It is expected to be open for business by next spring, she said.

Yes they do all that. but they will have to do it somewhere else because Mr. Smith doesn’t want his aquifer recharged or to see more birds on his property. Beavers are only permitted to replenish CERTAIN aquifers…Understand?

Cody Pitz is a wildlife biologist and beaver expert for the Jackson non-profit, Wyoming Wetlands. Pitz is the warden for the non-profit’s own beaver jailhouse located near Jackson. The facility opened last spring and has since provided temporary housing for about 30 beavers, he said.

The relocation facility can hold four family groups, which can include as many as ten animals each. It’s important for the relocation process to keep the families whole as much as possible, he said. That way they tend to stay together after a suitable place for relocation is found.

The Wyoming Wetlands facility has four 330-gallon pools of water for the beavers to use and keep cool during hot weather. Pitz said beavers don’t perspire so keeping them shaded and providing water prevents overheating.

The facility also has steel dens for the beavers to live in and to help recapture them for relocation.

“How it works is we take nuisance animals that would otherwise be killed and we offer to live trap them and relocate them,” he said. “We work with Wyoming Game and Fish and the Bridger-Teton National Forest to relocate them farther away from people.”

Pitz said they are careful in selecting proper areas for relocation to avoid future conflicts.

“We are not just deciding on our own where to relocate nuisance beavers,” he said. “We work with government agencies in deciding where they (beavers) are needed.”

Wyoming Wetlands also works with local landscapers to obtain aspen trees to feed the captive beavers. Aspen is their favorite food, but Pitz said they also eat apples, squash, corn and potatoes.

The non-profit contracts with local trappers who catch problem beavers in live traps.

I’m always a little comforted by an effort to locate family groups but still…it’s hard work for the beavers. And a lot of work for the humans.

The new beaver husbandry facility in Cody is designed with three primary considerations. First is efficiency of handling with minimal stress to the animals. Second is the well-being of the animals while they are in captivity and third is ease of maintenance and cleaning.

According to Wyoming Untrapped, the facility will include four fenced units, each consisting of a fenced concrete raceway, a feeding area and a den. A concrete den with underwater access will be constructed at the end of each raceway. The dens are lined with a removeable steel crate in order to remove beavers for transport.

Cody is an ideal location for the facility because it’s located in an area where conflicts between beavers and people consistently occurr. It has the potential to provide a source of beavers for adjacent regions as well, according to Wyoming Untrapped.

“The project would serve as a pilot to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach with the long-term goal of establishing other facilities in strategic locations in the state,” according to Wyoming Untrapped.

Other partners in the $80,000 project include Wyoming Tourism for Tomorrow and Mary Rumsey.

Every person I know who has really researched this issue is kind of iffy on its benefit. Vanessa Petro says the relocation is more likely to be successful when the beaver is moved within the same watershed, but how often does does that occur?

To paraphrase Tolkein: Beaver relocation is a dangerous gift even when done by the careful for the caring.

BEAVERS IN THE DAILY KOS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beavers September 20, 2023

I’m so old today that I can remember when the daily Kos was the shiny new thing and Markos himself was on meet the press Those days are long gone but apparently left a highwater mark because look what I found yesterday…

Hi! I’m a long-time lurker! In April 2021, I was minding my own business, watching TV with my husband, when I scrolled through Facebook and discovered that there was a family of beavers in my Chicagoland suburb that was about to be trapped and killed by an HOA because they were damaging trees. Humans confuse me. They plant amazing natural settings and then get mad when nature moves in. Anyway, a group of us sprang into action. We created a Facebook group, wrote a press release, talked to the media, held a rally, and got the HOA to agree not to trap and kill the beavers.

Hey that sounds familiar doesn’t it.

But then I started thinking. “My” beavers were going to have babies (kits) who eventually were going to disperse, and then those juvenile beavers would be at risk of being trapped and killed. I read Ben Goldfarb’s book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, and I knew what I needed to do. Obviously, I needed to form a nonprofit, the Illinois Beaver Alliance, and I needed to go to graduate school and get a certificate in Environmental Law & Policy so I would have some qualifications to become a beaver advocate. So I did!

Wow. I know that story too. Hey this is Rachel Schick Siegel. What a great place to tell the story.

Beavers are amazing ecosystem engineers who provide valuable ecosystem services for humans. Beaver ponds purify water; recharge aquifers; raise water tables; create habitat for fish, birds, amphibians, and mammals; and create floodwater storage capacity. Beaver ponds don’t burn, so more beavers would help combat wildfires in arid regions. In fact, more beavers would help us develop climate resilience in the face of climate change. And they are skilled engineers who work for free. Beaver restoration, a type of low-tech, process-based river restoration, is being used out west to restore salmon habitat; and in the Plains states to raise water tables for livestock.

I like this story! I may start reading the daily Kos again!

So I started to think about Illinois environmental problems, and I realized that while we are trapping and killing hundreds of “nuisance” beavers every year (not to mention the thousands being trapped for their pelts, with no bag limits), we are also spending $25 million+ per year on our “Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.” The Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, aimed at reducing point source pollution (wastewater and stormwater treatment facility discharge) and nonpoint source pollution (agricultural runoff) from entering out watersheds, which then feed into the Mississippi River, which then feeds into the Gulf of Mexico and causes a big dead zone, is at some level a failure—every year we fall further behind in our goals. But what if we had wider riparian buffers, with more beaver wetlands to filter out the nitrogen and phosphorus? We have water quality issues, we have loss of habitat which leads to loss of biodiversity, and we also will have a lot more flooding in upcoming years due to anthropogenic climate change leading to changing precipitation patterns.

So what if, instead of trapping and killing all of those beavers, we coexisted with them instead, using proven tools such as culvert fencing and pond levelers to prevent flooding that would damage human infrastructure? You can find out more about “flow devices” at the Beaver Institute website!

Yeah what if we did it right instead of stupid? Go Rachel.

Anyway, the Illinois Beaver Alliance, along with the Superior Bio-Conservancy in Wisconsin, has been planning a virtual, two-day Midwest Beaver Summit. We held our first day last week. Here is an article about it that appeared in the Chicago Tribune. It’s behind a paywall, though, so you can access it elsewhere; here is one reprint in the Seattle Times.

The second day is tomorrow, and you are invited to register! Midwest Beaver Summit Registering will also gain you access to the videos recordings of all the presentations.

Last week, Dr. Emily Fairfax and author Leila Philip both gave presentations. They were also featured on CBS This Morning last Sunday. Here is the link to that segment.

Anyway, I hope to see you tomorrow at Day 2 of the Midwest Beaver Summit, and that I can convince some of you to become Beaver Believers!!! Currently there are 795 registrants for the event. We have hundreds of people signed up who work for state and federal natural resource management agencies, land trusts, environmental nonprofits, watershed groups, and other stakeholders, from the Midwest states in general and across the entire nation!

Go Rachel! And Go Midwest Beaver Summit! What a great birthday present for me and beavers everywhere.