Category: What’s killing beavers now?

Could this be the news beavers have been waiting for?

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and climate change, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, What's killing beavers now?, Who's blaming beavers now? January 16, 2016

Fish and Game upheaval reveals shift in California wildlife policy

The sudden resignation of the most adamant defender of hunting and fishing on the California Fish and Game Commission could put the finishing touches on a sweeping philosophical shift in the way the state views wildlife, sets rules for fishing and controls predators like mountain lions and wolves.

Commissioner Jim Kellogg retired in late December in frustration over what he termed a lack of consideration for the sportsmen and women he represents. The resignation — combined with the unrelated recent departures of commission President Jack Baylis and Sonke Mastrup, the commission’s executive director — sets the stage for Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint conservationists to the increasingly pivotal state board.

Such a move may, observers say, complete the transformation of the commission from an organization that advocates for fishing and hunting to one that safeguards endangered species, preserves habitat and protects California’s top predators from slaughter.

The five-member commission, whose job is to recommend policies to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, has been wading through divisive issues that could profoundly impact the future of the state, including what to do about diminishing salmon populations, sick sea lions and disappearing sea otters.

“I’m leaving pretty much out of frustration,” Kellogg said in an interview. He had been on the board for 14 years when he retired Dec. 31, the longest-serving member of the commission.

“I’m just tired of being the only one fighting the fight for the hunters and fishers,” he said. “The first 12 years I won most of the battles, and the last couple of years I lost almost every battle.”

Poor Mr. Kellogg. As he said, he used to win most arguments just by showing up. And now with all these darned conservationists at the table he actually has to TRY and use facts and stuff. No wonder he’s quitting.

Why aren’t “Sportsmen” better sports?

And before you say that I’m being unfair to a breakfast cereal, remember that we in Martinez have a very fond remembrance f0r the man. Way back in the day the beavers were first slated for killing, the mayor negotiated a special deal with Mr. Kellogg that would allow two of the six beavers to be relocated, and after a short quarantine period, re-homed on tribal hand in Plumas county. Of course the other 4 would have to be killed, but hey, the man threw us a bone!

(Well, you may remember that on November 7, 2007 Martinez emphatically decided not to be boned. They said pretty definitively they didn’t want to kill their beavers, or save a few. They wanted to keep them ALL. And the rest, as they say, is history.)

Now back to our story, apparently the renamed CDFG is going through an identity crisis. They even hired a black man [horrors!] for the first time in 145 years! Imagine the confusion changing their name caused in 2012. All I can say is that it couldn’t happen to a nicer bully.

But it was the resignation of Kellogg, who often teamed up with Sutton and Richards, that was viewed by many as the end of the line for the hunting and fishing coalition on the commission.

The changes on the commission are an illustration of a statewide phenomenon. Californians, more than ever, regard wildlife, including apex predators, as a valuable part of the ecosystem instead of as food or vermin.

Chuck Bonham, the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, says he is committed to embracing science-based wildlife and ecosystem management while preserving the history and traditions associated with hunting and fishing.

Clearly, though, there has been a movement away from those traditions. The transformation became vivid in 2012 when then-Assemblyman Jared Huffman of San Rafael, who has since been elected to Congress, introduced a bill to change the name of the department that has managed fishing and hunting in California since 1872 from “Fish and Game” to “Fish and Wildlife.”

The bill passed in 2013 despite opposition from hunters, who saw it as a signal that game animals would soon be made off-limits. The commission itself, however, maintained the “Fish and Game” moniker despite lobbying by environmental groups to change the names of both the commission and the department it serves.

Hmm, I wonder who will replace Kellogg on that commission? I have some suggestions if you need any. In the meantime we should be cautiously optimistic that this, and the pressure to save salmon, will nudge something in the beaver’s favor. It’s a new world, baby. Where bobcat hunting is outlawed and people have to actually crack open those old ecology texts to figure out what words like “Apex predators” and “Keystone species” actually mean.

Given the week we all had, this song is perfect for the occasion.

It’s not just for polar bears anymore.

heidi08 Beaver Chewing, Beavers and climate change, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now? January 13, 2016

Hmm. Phys.org might just have offered us an important clue about our beaver deaths. Not surprisingly the research comes from the University of Utah. Thanks BK for the lead!

Poison warmed over: Climate change may hurt animals’ ability to live on toxic plants

University of Utah lab experiments found that when temperatures get warmer, woodrats suffer a reduced ability to live on their normal diet of toxic creosote – suggesting that global warming may hurt plant-eating animals.

“This study adds to our understanding of how climate change may affect mammals, in that their ability to consume dietary toxins is impaired by warmer temperatures,” says biologist Denise Dearing, senior author of the research published online Jan. 13 in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

“This phenomenon will result in animals changing their diets and reducing the amount of plant material they eat, relocating to cooler habitats or going extinct in local areas,” says Dearing, a distinguished professor and chair of biology at the university.

The new study’s first author, biology doctoral student Patrice Kurnath, says: “We found that desert woodrats have a harder time eating their natural diet at slightly warmer temperatures. In terms of climate changes, this study suggests that plant-eating animals all over the world may have problems dealing with their preferred food sources.”

While not all animal diets are as toxic as those of woodrats and other rodents that eat plants like creosote bushes or juniper, most mammals eat some toxins in their diet. In an ongoing evolutionary battle, plants evolve chemical defenses against being eaten and animals evolve liver enzymes or other ways to overcome or avoid plant toxins.

Dearing notes that “over 40 percent of all existing mammals eat only plants” and many more eat some plants. “Most plants produce toxins, so the majority of plant-eating mammals eat toxic compounds, and this may become more difficult to deal with as the climate warms,” she adds. Birds also might be affected, she says.

Now just sit back in your chair and think about that for a moment. Most plants contain toxins that animals have adapted to be able to digest.In normal conditions their complex systems can take out the nutrients they need and get rid of the bad stuff. And it looks like higher temperatures make that harder for them to do.

Think about the bad stuff that might be in willow (that produces the compound for aspirin) or in cottonwood (that has been studied to release chemicals to discourage insect browsing) or in Coyote Bush, which has such an acrid small that sap on pets and horses that it has been known to cause skin rashes. Think about what beavers take on every day – and not just in Martinez. And the leaves they eat are so poor in nutrients that they have to eat A LOT of them.

You know this summer in the Bay Area was record breaking hot. I’m trying to find the stats for how hot – but the reports out of the National Climate Data center say that the closes reporting station said that in June, July and August we endured 63 days over 90 degrees and in Martinez, which is usually cooled by breezes off the strait we had 34 days at or over 90. When it comes down to it, beavers are probably more affected by water temperature than air temperature, but obviously they’re related.

We aren’t the only ones who had mysterious die-offs. Think about that sick kit at Mountain View Sanitation, or the unexplained deaths of beaver in Oregon and Washington this summer. What if climate change is partly responsible for their deaths? I truly hope that’s not the case, because it’s not going to get better any time soon.

But beavers are pretty adaptable. If they can deal with nuclear fallout at Chernobyl, they can probably find a way to manage more toxins in their diet. Hmm I’m going to be thinking about this for quite a while I can see.

The quality of Merced is not strained

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now?, Who's saving beavers now? January 12, 2016

Both the city and county of Merced has a fairly lethal history with beavers. In our last review of depredation permits they were among the highest tally – even though they are listed as having 0 square miles of water. Apparently old habits die hard.

Merced’s beavers – nuisance or benefit?

Many travelers of the bike paths that run along Merced’s creeks may not be aware of the vibrant ecosystem at their feet, but experts say it’s there.

Aaron Pulver, 54, of Merced said he mostly never thought about the critters that call Black Rascal Creek home until the day he noticed what was clearly a tree that had been gnawed at by beavers. Now, to hear him explain it, he’s got “beaver fever.”

Pulver said he’s never actually seen any beavers in the creek – the mostly nocturnal rodents steer clear of humans during the day. But, now that he’s aware of their presence, he can’t help but see the teeth marks on trees and the dams that stop water from rushing through the creek.

“I’m worried about the flooding,” he said.

Cynthia Pulver, his sister, said she’s worried about loss of trees on the bank. One larger tree, which may have been growing for a couple of decades, fell sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. The tree had clearly been chewed up by one or more beavers.

“I’m more concerned with the aesthetics of the creek and the health of the trees,” the 55-year-old said.

The dams are also habitats for other wildlife. In fact, a couple of scientists at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County started a campaign called Bring Back the Beaver.

The campaign argues that beavers are a “keystone species” that not only helps other animals, but are beneficial to a thirsty California. Their dams help water to seep into underground aquifers, according to beaver advocates.

Hooray for Brock and Kate! And hooray for even discussing the benefits of beaver in an area that’s ground level is actually receeding because of the shrinking aquifer.
But I’m not holding my breath on the outcome. There’s a lot of resistance to beavers in the area, not the least of which is discussed in this article. Check out the outraged letter to the editor a few days later.

Joe Brucia: District’s beaver control effort: A fantasy!

Re “Beavers are nuisance and benefit” (Page 1A, Jan. 7): It is time for the city, county and Merced Irrigation District to develop a written policy on preventing beaver damage along Black Rascal Creek. It is a safety issue for those who enjoy the area. Regardless of our local agency’s assurances, here are the facts:

▪ Black Rascal Creek flowing through the city (and portions of the county) is actually a canal. The real creek is diverted into Bear Creek, just east of Kibby Road at Fairfield Canal.

▪ Water flows into the city portion of the creek through irrigation pipes during the summer and from street drainage in winter.

▪ Entrances to culverts along the creek are often dammed by beavers.

▪ Large beaver dams create ponds of stagnant water each spring and, if there was no significant irrigation season, into the summer.

▪ High water from beaver ponds causes erosion damage to creek banks.

▪ Trees partially chewed are a hazard to walkers and especially to kids playing in the area.

▪ For flood control, the city removes a dam or clears a culvert. However, the beaver remains to rebuild.

▪ Within city limits, beavers are not beneficial to Black Rascal Creek.

▪ In the city, responsibility for beaver control is not clearly communicated.

▪ The city, county, MID and MCAG have not provided the public with any written information on their procedures or policies related to dam or beaver damage.

Let’s hope that our local governments can work together to devise a plan, communicated to the public, to solve the problem. It would be appropriate to request public input.

Joe Brucia, Merced

Nicely defended Joe. Obviously no time was wasted before sitting down at the computer to defend your freedom from beavers. I tried to look him up and found that ten of his letters have been published fairly recently, including one that says lawns shouldn’t be allowed between the sidewalk and the street – because of the drought. And if we’re wondering how reasonable Joe is we have to ask ourselves, “who would take the time to write a letter about meridian strips?” (And before you answer YOU, remember I have a fairly narrow focus these days.)

So Joe’s that guy why rambles at every council meeting whether he cares about the issue or not and once in a great while makes sense. We can discard that letter, but you should really read the comments after it. One of them is just brilliant!

Damming Gets Faint Praise

heidi08 Beaver Chewing, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now?, Who's saving beavers now? January 11, 2016

Do you remember that grumpy english teacher who never said anything nice, always brought a thermos to work and marked your papers down on purpose so you wouldn’t feel cocky. Except for that ONE moment in time he complimented your Dostoyevsky essay with a single muttered adjective?

Well I guess Mr. Reid is the Beaver’s english teacher.

Exploring The Last GreenValley: Beavers are nature’s engineer

I have to admit to a love-hate relationship with Castor canadensis, the largest rodent in the United States, and the unparalleled builder of dams.

Too often, however, my amazement at this industrious animal turns to frustration when I have to haul my canoe or kayak out of a river and around or over yet another tree felled by the busy beaver.

Over time and through personal experience, I have come to appreciate beavers not only for their industrious, wood-gnawing construction abilities, but also for the positive impact they can have on our natural world and habitat. This understanding and appreciation took time.

About 15 years ago, my father returned from a walk in the woods to declare that he had found a beaver pond right smack in the middle of the forest. The beavers had built a dam across a small stream, were busy felling valuable trees and had flooded trails and logging roads. In all, they had created two separate ponds covering several acres of land.

Trapping and removal of the beavers was recommended by our consulting forester, so we filed applications with the State of New Hampshire and hired a local trapper to remove the animals.

The trees were spared, but not for long. Two years later, the beavers were back. Since then, we have kept an irregular schedule of trapping and removing the beavers depending on their numbers and amount of tree damage.

The result of having beavers on our property is the same as what has occurred throughout history in North America – beavers play an important role in the ecology of the land by creating enhanced wetlands that benefit a variety of wildlife species.

When I walk in our forest, my first stop is always at the beaver pond to check for damage to valuable trees as well as to look for salamanders, turtles and frogs. Our pond attracts all sorts of wildlife and on its muddy banks I have found tracks from deer, fisher, coyote, black bear and moose.

It took a while, but I have found a greater appreciation for what the beavers brought to our land. We try to keep a happy medium by maintaining the pond, but keeping their numbers in check to minimize their damage to our important tree crop.

Hmm. It is so tempting to be heartened by this article, from the wilds of New Hampshire where beaver activity is never beloved. He looked up the phrase ecosystem engineer and has noticed positive changes on his land. You have to admire that. But I can’t help but resent his grudging appreciation. I think a beaver would say ‘that’s mighty white of you to value my work while you insist on controlling my pond and killing my relatives’.

But maybe that’s just me.

Let’s have something adorable to brighten our horizons. H/T to Robin from Napa.

Beavers taken for granted

heidi08 Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, What's killing beavers now?, Who's saving beavers now? January 3, 2016

Yesterday was grant-writing day. Worth A Dam is submitting two to the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Commission, who generously paid for our button project last year. This year one grant is asking for funds for the Ecosystem Engineer teaching project using Wildbryde charms to make the bracelet project called “A.L.L. A.B.O.A.R.D.” (A little learning about beaver operations and riparian dwellers). Each charm will be a wildlife railcar and the beaver will be pulling the train.The second grant is for the beaver mural, and I’m calling the project “The bridge to nature” and saying its civic and ecological to pay attention to what the beavers did in our creek. I have no earthly idea if they’d consider a project like this, but I figure I might as well ask. Because of my recent work on the urban beaver chapter I was able to pull some nice language out of my section and use it in the grant, which I think makes us sound really deserving, but that might be just me. We’ll see.

Amongst the crowded demands on urban waterways, expected to handle storms, street runoff and flood prevention, there is often little attention paid to the habitat needs of wildlife drawn to urban creeks. This misses a critical value for both the watershed and the public. Numerous studies have shown the psychological and physical benefits to residents of urban wildlife. These include reduced stress, greater satisfaction and even crime reduction! Some researchers argue that urban wildlife’s significance in urban planning should be regarded with as much weight in composing a healthy community as open space or air quality. In addition to encouraging social cohesion, people consistently report feeling enriched by living with nature, even when they are challenged.

Martinez became an unsuspecting (and not entirely willing) test case for all these benefits with the arrival of the beavers in Alhambra Creek in 2007.

I’m actually very proud of that introduction, wonder if anyone else will like it! There are strict page limits on your submission so I’m using the graphics in the footers as attempted subliminal influence. Jon will drop them off monday afternoon, and then we’ll try to forget about them and not wait anxiously by the phone. Worth A Dam will still fund both projects regardless of their decision but approval would be nice! I found a great quote for the mural one too, which I’ll share.

“While the end products—the works of public art—are always beautiful, their deeper value lies in the conversations we create, the connections we build, and the legacy of relationships we foster along the way, often with transformative results.”

Jane Golden Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia

Meanwhile the terrible decisions in Tom’s River NJ have prompted a full protest, which is something considering the cold weather. I personally can’t see what it can possibly accomplish because I’m sure those beavers are already long gone. This brand of outrage is more likely to teach the administrators to be more sneaky next time, than to encourage actual reform. But who know’s? Once upon a time Martinez got lucky.

Beaver trapping sparks outrage, protests in Toms River

A Toms River neighborhood has become divided over how to handles the town’s beaver population.

The Toms River township administrator tells News 12 New Jersey that the town had to hire a trapper to catch the beavers after neighbors complained about the population around Lake Placid. Neighbors complained that the beavers have chewed up the trees and their dams are causing flooding.

Ahh memories.