Category: Beavers elsewhere

FRIENDS, WITH BEAVER BENEFITS

Well, Mike Callahan confirms he did, in fact, do a training for the staff in London Ontario a few years back, but he has no speculation on the flow device where the outtake pipe goes uphill. Our filmmaker friend from Windswept, Doug Knutson says that London is the wildlife management ideal they’re working for in his city and shares this report. You can tell by the nutria on the over photo that Belleville has a long way to go.

Councillor McCaw says Friendly City shouldn’t be killing wildlife

Belleville is delaying any move to adopt a new policy on how to deal with wildlife in the city, including beavers.

City council had called for a new policy, following an incident last fall, when residents in the east end rescued a beaver caught in a trap and drowning. The policy presented to council by staff this week included rules that live traps should be used as a first step, and killing traps only as a last resort.

In public areas traps would be set in the evening and removed in early morning to avoid danger to the public and pets. The proposed policy indicated that when animals are found in live traps, they are to be humanely euthanized.

Did you catch that? Our old policy is that beavers would be trapped. But our new one is that beavers can either be trapped and killed right away or trapped and killed later. The timing changes. The killing, you see, does not. In addition the city will remove the traps in the morning and post signs to warn residents.

Mighty white of you, says every beaver, ever.

This just isn’t good enough for Doug, who is still pushing for better options.

So the city will agree to take care of resident’s delicate fee-fees, but what about using a flow device or solving the problem without killing?

The city would evaluate the area for potential options such as Beaver Baffler or Beaver Cone, prior to any trapping activity. Councillor Kelly McCaw said she couldn’t support it, adding “We are a friendly city and shouldn’t be killing our way out of a situation.”

That’s the best part of the article. We love Kelly. There’s a scene in Hamlet where he’s trying to pry information out of his school friends that have been warned by his parents not to cooperate. He innately senses that one of them is about to crack and zeroes in on that guy.

Hamlet: Be even and direct with me whether you were sent for or no.
Rosencrantz: (to his friend) What say you?
Hamlet: Nay, then I have an eye of you – if you love me hold not off!

And in my mind, even now, this phrase springs into my mind when I think I have found the proverbial weak link in the chain, and thus the way in. As I believe Doug very clearly has found with Ms. Kelly McGraw. I would stick by her side and feed her all the information she needs and maybe throw in some very cute photos of beavers as well. Maybe some kids drawings beavers too. You are welcome to any of ours.

Doug has bravely moved the train from “We’ll kill beavers whenever we like” up the tracks to “We’ll be thoughtful about public impact when killing beavers.” Which is hard to do. But if you want to force it to the next station, which is the hardest part of the climb, I would stay close to Kelly.

Because it all starts with a willingness to think that killing isn’t right and there should be a better way. And where it goes from there is up to people like us.

BEAVER FAIRYTALES

heidi08 Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? March 26, 2019

Sometimes in my travels I come across a beaver article that is confusing, even for me with everything I’ve seen over the years. I can’t decide if its the wisest most progressive policy in all the land, or a monstrous set of lies getting ready to justify some really nasty trapping, or some combination of them both. Well, brace yourself, because if a city like this REALLY exists, we might all have to move.

Busy beavers a challenge for London officials

Workers with the City of London and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) are being kept busy these days managing the beaver population. It’s important work if the city is to maintain its infrastructure and prevent flooding.

Now before you start getting confused we’re not talking about THAT london. This is London, Canada which is right across Lake Eerie from Cleveland. The river that flows through the city is called the Thames. It is about 170 miles long.

“I will say that the population of beavers that we’ve seen in London has grown exponentially over the last four or five years,” said Brandon Williamson, land management technician with UTRCA.

But, the city has a beaver protocol to ensure that beavers are “treated in a respectful and consistent manner, balancing the various needs to protect the beaver and [its] habitat; the overall environment; city infrastructure; people and property,” according to a city document detailing the protocol.

Right now, the city and UTRCA workers are aware of about 50 sites where beavers are living in the city.

Now, I’m scratching my head a little at that. I sincerely doubt that public works is close observers of every colony, knowing family size for example like we did. I’m not sure whether their gues-timate comes from seeing fifty lodges along the river? Fifty dams? Or fifty trees that have been chewed? I mean that would be a beaver colony every 3.5 miles and that’s a little hard to believe since they would ALL need to eat.

One way the city is trying to stay ahead of the beavers is to install so called “beaver deceivers.” “It’s when they’re in our storm water management facilities or ponds in neighbourhood,” said Shawna Chambers, division manager of storm water engineering.

It’s believed that if the water continues to flow, the beavers will move to a new location.

Um, no. The purpose of installing a flow device isn’t to drive them out like st patrick and the snakes. How did it happen that London is smart enough to install flow devices and still too stupid to know how they work? I’m not sure whether the reporter is just confused or the entire public works chain of command is like one giant game of telephone and that’s the message that got through.

Looking at that photo is beyond confusing. The fencing looks right, right distance from the pipe and rounded top like Mike Callahan uses. But what’s it function of the fence? There’s no dam visible. And what is that board? Why is the pipe going uphill? Is there some understanding that if the pond gets very, very deep then water will suddenly flow up hill hit the board, disturb the beavers and make them leave?

Another piece of the protocol is feeding the beavers, although not human food, of course. Instead, fast growing, inexpensive, native species of trees are planted in areas to provide food for the beavers.

“If you plant these trees, like a poplar tree, that’s really quick growing and a low value tree. The hope is the beavers will choose them over sugar maple and black cherry and hickory and some of the more desired trees that we have,” said Williamson.

Having said that, beavers still go for some of those more desired trees. When that is happening, steps are taken to protect the higher value trees by wrapping them in a wire cage, according to officials.

Something about this entire article is fuzzy. Like those cotton candy dreams where everything seems perfect but you find out it’s really NOT. So an entire city plants trees for beavers to eat but can’t find time to protect the valuable ones until after their chewed? I’m starting to smell a fox in our hen house.

When asked if the city would consider a cull to reduce the beaver population and prevent damage or flooding, that isn’t the plan.

“Ever since the protocol has been enacted in the city we haven’t had to resort to those measures,” said Chambers. “We have definitely not been talking about anything to the extent of killing the beavers.”

“I think in the future there may be some other ideas that we may have to look at because we can’t always put a flow device or a beaver deceiver in but before a cull is even considered there’s going to be lots of other options that we’ve got,” said Williamson.

Suddenly I get the feeling that this entire article has been gently leading readers by the hand to this conclusion. We tried our best, they woefully say, installing flow devices and planting low value trees, but there’s just TOO many of them. There’s only one way out. And reasonable people will agree that unless we all want to be drowned in our beds, it’s time to reach for the trap.

Instead of killing the animals, there’s a commitment in London’s beaver protocol to increased public education.

“We need to let people know we’re trying to work with the wildlife and trying to live cohesively with wildlife to make sure that both sides are happy in this,” said Williamson. “Beavers are known for being creators of wetlands,” said Chambers. “In nature it can be quite nice to set up that blockage and the water is dammed behind it. It creates biodiversity.”

“Education is huge,” he said. “We’ve got people who say [the beavers] are cutting all the trees down so we’ve got to get rid of them. Well that’s their food; that’s their habitat. They’re allowed to be there.”

I haven’t stopped scratching my head through this entire article. Do you have any people shouting “Why the hell is our city LETTING the beavers chop down trees instead of wrapping them?” Any action by beaver loving residents that was big enough to result in THIS policy I would know about. But I don’t. Unless it happened more than 11 years ago when a massive city protest resulted in huge changes, because it’s nothing I covered on this website. And there’s nothing written about it on the internet, I don’t know. Doing a beaver deceiver demonstration at earth day is remarkable and if a city were really committed to coexistence it would be a good idea. But I’m a naturally suspicious person and there are a ton of errors in their thinking. Could this be true?

Is London a beaver city on a hill?

DISRUPTIVE BEAVERS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? March 18, 2019

If there’s one thing your average hoosier can’t stand, it’s a DISRUPTIVE beaver. Sure they can tolerate a well-behaved beaver as long as the next man, but once it starts disturbing the peace or making rackets that’s IT, it’s time for the euthanasia machines.

Am I right?

Northwest Indiana counties target disruptive beavers

WAUKEGAN, Ind. (AP) – Beavers in Northwest Indiana are causing problems by blocking storm water drainage systems with their dams, so counties are turning to trapping and euthanizing the animals to deal with the issue.

Lake County has euthanized about 140 beavers from 2016 through 2018, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

“It is a necessary evil,” said Dan Gossman, Lake County’s senior drainage administrator.

“We have tried having a crew out there full time removing dams multiple times, thinking they would leave, but they come right back and can rebuild in a day,” Emerson said.

Disruptive AND persistent? You’re kidding me! Boy you sure got the unlucky beavers, The rebuilding of dams almost ~~NEVER~~ ALWAYS happens! I’m sure sorry you got the flukes.

State rules require beavers to be relocated within the county they’re found, but Lake County doesn’t have a beaver sanctuary, Emerson said.

You see our predicament, don’t you? We would love to just move the disruptive ones but the state won’t let us, and there isn’t a beaver SANCTUARY ya know. So what’s a fellow to do?

Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke estimates that the county euthanizes about 15 beavers annually. Beavers that are relocated often run into problems in their new environment, he said.

“The poor beaver, usually a 2- or 3-year-old, who is relocated is confused by their new surroundings and attacked by the beaver who is already established in the territory,” Breitzke said.

Wait, why would you relocate a beaver to a place where another beaver already lives? That seems kinda lazy or hostile? But Mr Breitzke has done his reading (or watched one PBS special). He wants you to know he understands that beavers can do some good, when they’re not busy being disruptive.

“Beavers can provide a lot of habitat benefits. A lot of species benefit from beaver ponds. It creates wetland habitat for fish and wading birds. Beaver dams also can act as wildlife highways across flowing water,” Albers said.

The dams can cause issues when they’re found in urban areas, Emerson said.

“Their dams back up water and flood homes, and cause a lot of still water that provides habitat for mosquitoes,” he said.

Do you know what ELSE is disruptive? Mosquitoes, that what! Always barging in and ruining your quite picnic or barbecue. Of course beavers cause mosquitoes. They are both disruptive together. Beaver trapping is really just like using a giant can of OFF if you think about it. It’s not cruel or short-sighted.

I’m a great fan of the Leslie Nope character in Parks and Rec, but honestly, the entire state seems woefully ill-equipped to deal with wildlife of any kind. Which is a surprise when you think about how darn rough-and-tumble our vice-president seems. Hoosiers don’t do wildlife I guess, whether it be coyotes, o’possum or disruptive beavers.

HAMPTON FALLS IN WITH THE RIGHT CROWD

heidi08 Who's saving beavers now? March 10, 2019

It’s good to have friends. I’ve been in the beaver biz for so long that when I read a great article like this from Hampton falls I have a beaver rolo-dex that I can scroll through and think, hmm who do I know in New Hampshire? Can they help?

And of course they can.

Teen Works to Tackle Hampton Falls Beaver Dam Problem

HAMPTON FALLS — A local teen is working on an Eagle Scout project to alleviate the flooding problems beaver dams are causing to the town’s culvert system.

Boy Scout Joel Pontbriand said he plans to construct four Clemson Beaver Pond Levelers to stop beaver dams from backing up the flow of the town’s culverts. A Clemson Beaver Pond Leveler is made mostly from PVC pipe and allows water to flow through a beaver dam or plugged culvert.

″(Clemson Beaver Pond Levelers) are suspended in the water at the desired water level of the pond,” he said, “and they mask the sound of flowing water, which is how beavers find drainage points. Consequently, they confuse the beavers and render their dams ineffectual.”

To raise funds for the project, he is hosting a pizza fundraising dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. March 8 at the First Baptist Church. Admission is $8 per person and $25 per family of four.

Hurray for Joel! We LOVE eagle scouts who help beavers, and thoughtful people who realize that there are better solutions with longer term benefits than just trapping. I wish Joel had access to some more modern tools though than the Clemson, which is expensive, unwieldy and frankly not nearly as successful as the many inventions that have come along 20 years since.

So of course I immediately emailed the story to our friend Art Wolinsky who says he wrote the reporter and lives about 20 minutes away. He’d love to help out. I’m hoping this can all take place. It seems to me a retired high school science teacher is the perfect kind of help for this valiant pursuit.

The pipes will also eliminate the creation of unwanted wetlands, as well as minimizing flooding by promoting continuous water flow of the Taylor River. Furthermore, he said, this method of dealing with beavers is “conservation-minded” and has proven successful nationwide.

“I chose to do this because I was looking for ways to help a local institution or the town itself, in a manner consistent with the guidelines of an Eagle Scout Service Project,” he said. “When I heard of this potential project, it struck me as an opportunity to do something different and possibly overlooked by many residents of Hampton Falls. The idea of implementing something unconventional but certainly needed was exciting to me.”

Eagle Scout projects mark the culmination of a scouts’ career and customarily includes providing a public service that improves their local communities.

Wonderful! This is a great project to take on and it will have great results if you use the right tools. I know Art will be happy to help. Of course if we’re really talking about protecting four culverts a beaver deceiver is much more suited to the job, and I also happen to know a selectman in Vermont who will be the right man to consult.

Now let’s just hope that Joel spends a little time using the internet to find out why beavers matter and what kinds of good things they can bring to his town if he just helps them not cause problems. We’ll be more than happy to help that story get told!

THE BEAVER KILLING FIELDS

heidi08 Who's Killing Beavers Now? March 4, 2019

Today is a mixed review of a beaver day, a triumph and a tragedy. Or rather 146 tragedies, made possible by a California Department of Fish and Wildlife that still believes that it’s a reasonable thing to report under past attempts that you had diligently tried “Hazing and debris removal” before requesting a permit. If you were asking for a permit to give up on your children you might just as easily write that you tried “loud music and making collages” as a earnest attempt at parenting. Because it would be exactly as useful.

All of the awarded permits combined add up to an allowed take of 2,626 beavers in a mere 23 counties in the state. They are generally where we’ve come to expect, surrounding the delta and wicking out from that center. The majority of permits was once again issued for Placer county, but the majority of beavers was authorized for take in Sacramento which I suppose is what we should expect.

Interesting to me in a grim kind of way is all the regions we used to see beaver permits issued and now don’t. Like Kern and Riverside and Mendocino. Places where the beaver population was starting I guess to rebound, and then they were depredated and progress stopped. Of course CDFW would say that just because 2626 beavers were permitted to be killed it doesn’t mean that many were actually killed. Except there were still 6 permits given for unlimited beaver, so for all we know it the actual tallies could even be higher. Plus there is no official with a clipboard coming to check that if your permit was good for 17 beavers you actually didn’t kill 18 by mistake. Or 118.

So I think it’s reasonable to assume that California kills at least 1500 beavers a year, maybe more like 2000.

What does that mean? It means that all the salmon those beavers would have helped, all the fires they might have prevented, all the drought they would have averted is lost in a pile of bones and fur. Some in the name of development and some just to preserve someone’s rosebush in their front yard. It continues to be a hard world out there for a beaver. And there are so many places where the light still doesn’t reach.

Thank you to Robin Ellison for obtaining the permits and to Molly Foley and Jon Ridler for helping me process them. It’s been a grueling 4 days. But there is a small comfort in that many many more permits in 2017 reported or recommended wrapping trees or painting them with sand as a defense and 11 of those permits discussed the use of a pond leveler. I guess that’s something.

Baby steps for babies.

Meanwhile Ben Goldfarb continues to fight the good fight and received a Pen award for his efforts. In case you want to see what a big deal the ceremony was (like the Oscars for writing) and hear his hopeful acceptance speech I have cued up his award and acceptance which is a fairly optimistic look at the differences we can make. Enjoy.