Category: Who’s blaming beavers now?

What’s it like where you are?

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Educational, Environmental, Who's blaming beavers now? February 21, 2016

I spent yesterday working on the application for our mural grant, which I am fairly happy with. Then I was amused to see this headline out of Connecticut:

Canton Public Works Department Keeps An Eye On Beaver Dams

CANTON — The public works department has gotten permission to lower or even remove beaver dams in town as it keeps an eye on a few that could cause flooding and other problems.

Public Works Director Robert Martin said his staff regularly monitors beaver dams in town. In anticipation of having to work on a few of them, the department sought permission from the inland wetlands agency earlier this month. That permit was granted for five years with the condition that heavy machinery not be used.

“We have a pretty good idea of where these dams are and their impact on town and private property,” Martin said.

Chris Vann, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said that agency routinely gets inquiries from municipalities on how best to deal with beaver dams.

“Beavers have been one of our most dealt-with species in the last 20 years,” Vann said. He said the state has a healthy population of beavers, estimated recently to be as many as 8,000.

Permission to lower and EVEN remove the dams? Um. I’m kind of loving Connecticut at the moment. Here in you-know-where the permission public works gets is a little more dire. I’m impressed the department of Energy and Enviornmental Protection has a population estimate though (Who on earth would combine those two departments? Someone who works for the power companies I guess.) Mr. Vann quotes a healthy population of 8000 – Gimme a sec and let me just do some math…

Wikipedia says CT is 5,543 square miles of which 12% are water – that makes around 698 square miles of water. A beaver population of 8000 spread around that would mean nearly 12 beavers per square mile. Which is a lot, if it’s true.

I’m not holding my breath.

Breaching a dam is one option but removing it entirely is often necessary and in some cases problem beavers have to be trapped and removed.

Vann said monitoring beaver activity is a continuous process for towns.

“They are persistent,” he said. “Beavers will use available habitat and towns repeatedly have to go back and remove dams.”

Martin said the town has worked on beaver dams before. One was removed near High Valley Drive that threatened to flood the road. He said he decided to seek a permit from the wetlands board after talking to Town Planner Neil Pade about the work that might have to be done.

“We knew this work would be in a regulated area,” Martin said. “We want to respect the wetlands board and for them to understand what we are doing.”

Oh those darned pesky ‘problem beavers’. Everyone seems to have a lot of those.

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One exciting part of the conversation on Friday was an invitation for me to come to Portland and present to the Wetlands Conservancy and the public about our work here in Martinez. They have the enviable problem where the scientists and officials all want urban beavers and the public aren’t so sure. They would have me present here on a friday evening and saturday morning do a meeting with the interested officials or science folk, which sounds really fun. I hadn’t heard of the Oregon Public House before (even though it made enough of a splash to be talked about in the NYT and Colbert report) but it has a big community ball room where I’d present and TWC will be one of their nonprofits in May so it might work out perfect.

So very Portland.

Speaking of generosity, the plates donation arrived yesterday from Sarah Melancon of the Thirdhalf Studios, Kitchen Beaver. They are so delightful. Thank you so much Sarah! I’m suddenly overwhelmed with an undeniable need for Sunday pancakes.

Do you think it would be too hard for Jon to make them in the shape of tails?

Right to Beaver-Life Movement gains Momentum

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Environmental, What's killing beavers now?, Who's blaming beavers now?, Who's saving beavers now? January 31, 2016

There are some grim advances on the effort to get the farmer-fueled beaver shootings into the public eye in Scotland. Early in 2015 there were reports of this happening and a flurry of requests for the government to intervene and grant protected status to the animals. After some foot dragging, it looks like they finally found the right words to get it reported by the BBC. I can’t embed the news report but click on the photo to watch it on their sight.

CLICK TO PLAY

Pregnant beavers shot by landowners in Tayside

Beavers that were heavily pregnant or had recently given birth are among those shot by landowners in Tayside. The news has led to demands for restrictions on shooting during the breeding season and renewed calls for Scotland’s beavers to receive legal protection

Experts at Edinburgh Zoo have now carried out post-mortem examinations on 23 beavers from Tayside. They concluded that 21 had been shot, although other sources have said the total number of animals killed in this way is significantly higher.

Two pregnant animals were shot. The size and weight of the foetuses indicates they were very near full term

Two other females which were shot had recently given birth

There were concerns about the length of time it would have taken some of the 21 animals to die

At least one animal contained lead shot. It is against the law to use lead shot to kill an animal in water.

Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone, deputy convener of Holyrood’s cross-party group on animal welfare, has called on ministers to “get off the fence”.

“Scottish ministers need to get off the fence, accept that beavers have a positive role to play in terms of biodiversity, and that they deserve legal protection.

Go read the whole thing, as this is a fairly thorough report. The FOIA really did its job in finding the grisly facts that would get this noticed. There has been considerable debate amongst the Tayside supporters as to whether it ultimately might make the beavers safer to offer some appropriate way to depredate legally OR whether they should just insist on humane solutions only. I understand the dilemma.

For the record my advice is to emphasize mitigation first, but once humane solutions are exhausted to allow for responsible depredation, because folks need a reminder that there are options if all these good intentions fail. It took me a while to tolerate language like “sometimes trapping is necessary” but I got there. Because it ultimately helps beavers for people to feel like they have an alternative.

I just think it should be a lot harder to get there.

Here’s some of what I wrote for the conclusion of our urban chapter. As I don’t know whether any of it might survive editing, I’m going to share.

It is our hope that in the future, when the inevitable occurs, this chapter can serve as a reminder to fully consider potential benefits and costs before a decision is made regarding the fate of these uninvited guests.While lethal solutions may at times continue to be necessary, we believe our urban waterways are often failed by the inability to recognize other viable options.

We wish our good friends in Scotland the very best of luck figuring this out. But getting the issue into the public eye is, as usual, the most important step.

A follow-up to the Mountain House beaver issue discussed Friday. I heard from the concerned resident who contacted me that she was asked by the official I spoke with to pull together an ad hoc committee to study the arguments.

A Tale of Beaver in two Cities

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now?, Who's blaming beavers now? January 30, 2016

These two cities share pretty much the same latitude, (a chilly 44) and are merely separated by 1400 miles and a great lake, but they couldn’t be more different. Especially in their attitude towards beaver activity. Funny thing is these stories appeared on the same day and are reporting about the same issue. Demographics are desitny. Let me show you what I mean. I’m thinking we should compare and contrast, and maybe try new toy.

Milton Ontario	Shorewood Minnesota
“I want to clarify that regulating a creek does not mean we own it,,” said Hassaan Basit, general manager at CH.	It’s gotten to the point where it’s not just the odd tree,” said Dick Woodruff, a Shorewood City Council Member. “It’s an epidemic.”
“This natural debris can play an important role in natural flood management and introduces important nutrients into the system, supporting its ecological diversity,” he stated.	“The beavers are aggressively taking down trees,” many of which have fallen on roads and power lines, Mayor Scott Zerby said.
And although it might look bad, even the dead trees on the ground are good for the environment. “It is sad to see a big tree chopped down but it does provide opportunities for new trees to grow. It’s cutting down a renewable resource,”	About 36,000 beavers were harvested in the state last year. Officials are discussing which kind of trap would be as pain-free as possible, Brown said. The waterlogged beaver lodges may begin to shrink, but they won’t entirely disappear because it’s hard to remove a beaver permanently from any Minnesota location.
“Honestly, we accept and appreciate what the beaver does.”	“They’re amazing animals,” Brown said.

I would write something witty about missed opportunities and missed IQ points, but honestly this morning it just bugs the snot outta me. Minnesota sounds a little frightened of the animal lovers, but they clearly have zero idea why beavers matter. And that just means they’re working hard to maintain their state of willful ignorance.

Now for some good news. Our willow fascines and states are waking up from their sleep! Soon they’ll be some LOVELY and alluring new trees in our creek to hopefully summon the beavers back.

Yesterday I happened to really look at their fancy well-funded logo and realized it needed some improvements. Do you think they’ll mind?

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.

Going deep

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now?, Who's blaming beavers now? December 31, 2015

Two recent stories have new information that I’m grimly going to share. To start with the mayor of “Tom’s River” who was going to “consider humane alternatives to trapping” turns out not to have considered them very long. Times up! Beaver trapping season is open and no one should be surprised at his conclusion.

Activists angered by decision to trap Toms River beavers

TOMS RIVER — A state-licensed trapper has been hired by the township to remove beavers whose dam-building activities have led to complaints from neighbors who live near Lake Placid.

The township’s decision to hire the trapper — who began working in the area Dec. 27 — frustrated representatives from Gloucester County’s Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, who met earlier this month with Toms River officials in an attempt to convince them to use nonlethal means to prevent the lake’s beaver population from building dams that have flooded neighboring properties.

“Trapping is the only viable, long-term solution to provide a practical and financial means of responding to the presence of beavers on town-owned and managed lands,” a statement issued by the township reads. “Trapping ensures that property damage and human health and safety risks are minimized and that quality of life is preserved for residents.:

Township officials said that in spite of their efforts, more beaver dams have appeared in Lake Placid in recent years. Moving the beavers is not an option since the state Division of Fish and Wildlife does not allow relocation of the aquatic rodents, officials said.

The township says the beaver dams “alter waterways, destroy forests and threaten homes and roads.” Beaver trapping in New Jersey runs from Dec. 26 to Feb. 9.

Ugh. I’ve highlighted your “Proceed governor“moment. That’s where I’d start my response.

If I were there I’d try saying something like “I’m relieved to hear it’s a long term solution, Mayor.” Then follow up with “How long?” Brightly cheerful. “How long did you say the trapper is guaranteeing his work?” Wait a second, and then “Because Mike Callahan guarantees his installation for five years, I’m assuming that trapper will come back and do whatever is necessary for that long too?” See if you can get them to acknowledge that when new beavers move in the city will have to pay again. See if you can get them to talk about the payment for the trapper and how long it usually takes beavers to recolonize adequate habitat.

I agree that its rotten the city said they were pretending to look for solutions while the press was there. And then did exactly what they had always planned the second their backs were turned. But stop recommending compassion, because no ones listening. Talk about saving money. Talk about hiring a trapper four times in five years versus letting you install the culvert fence for free. And ask the mayor which he thinks is a better use of taxpayer funds.

Van Hof, of Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, said her group offered to pay for installation and maintenance of a trapezoid-style fenced beaver deterrent that she said has been proven to have “98 percent effectiveness in historically badly flooded municipalities.” She said the trademarked beaver deterrents suggested by the group, called either “Beaver Deceivers” or “Culver Clear,” require almost no maintenance.

She said the group offered to visit the site weekly to monitor the effectiveness of the beaver deterrent device. The longer beaver deterrent devices lead the beavers farther away from the culvert or pipe and prevent them from successfully damming it, Van Hof said.

Great work offering to do it yourself. Now follow up with the statement that “Rather than allowing us to carry this cost you’re saying its better make tax-payers do it?” And see if you can get that covered by the papers. They are being weasels, and not the pretty kind. Let slip the watchdogs of war. (In a very polite way.)

cooper crane — **Cooper Crane posing in Worth A Dam shirts after our legal challenge failed to stop the sheetpile was installed thru the beaver lodge.**

More news about the firecracker beaver from our longtime German friend Alex Hiller (posing here for photo with Skip Lisle at the beaver symposium a few years back). He researched the local papers and found that the tragic death really did happen about a week ago. He highlights that fireworks are illegal in Germany and these were probably purchased in Poland. He writes,

It is a sad story you forwarded to me. Unfortunately the incident is being approved by necropsy. The corpse of the female beaver kid of 6 months age was being discovered at the bank of a lake besides the castle of Koenigs-Wusterhausen. The wife of the local hunter had witnessed teens throwing firecrackers into the lake the day before. The incident happened about a week ago.

What was being discovered by necropsy were ear drums on both sides destroyed and ripped open. Its liver and brain had clogged blood vessels resulting from shock. Death was caused from drowing, because lots of water was found in its lungs and stomach. It was assumed that firecrackers could have caused an underwater shockwave resulting in the beaver kid`s death.

Alex is a trusted beaver researcher with boots on the ground. He even found a grisly article from B.Z. showing the ruptured eardrums. (Because German papers are like just that.) So this means it really happened and that when people blow up dams they occasionally blow out beaver eardrums. . (Which is quite upsetting to think about.) It makes me worried for our little beavers in retrospect. And now I’m thinking that maybe that ‘mourning beaver’ recorded by Bernie Krause also had his own hearing loss and couldn’t tell how loud he was being?

You can watch that if you dare, I never will again because it is just too sad. The bright spot in this gloomy follow-up is that Worth A Dam still has a generous beaver friend in Germany who is willing to do some research and translating for us when needed. Thank you Alex, for your valuable aid, and hopefully the next story I ask you to sniff out will be a more beaver cheerful one!