LOVE THE DAM – HATE THE BEAVER?

heidi08 BDA's January 13, 2018

Today I have a pair of schizophrenic beaver news stories to ‘catch up on’. So we will go from the sublime to the ridiculous really fast,. Let’s start with north central Washington where beaver dams are considered SO helpful, a bunch of people are building them.

Human-built ‘beaver dams’ restore streams

Beavers are a critical asset in Washington, assuring that healthy riparian zones are maintained, especially in the dry climate east of the Cascades. Beaver dams and ponds support native vegetation and wetlands along streams, trap sediment, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality. Over the last two centuries, these benefits have been lost in many watersheds, following human development, beaver removal, channel deepening, and other impacts.

n 2015, the Okanogan Highland Alliance (OHA) was awarded a grant to restore a reach of Myers Creek, through Ecology’s Water Quality Financial Assistance Program. In the 1990s, Myers Creek was damaged in a major rain-on-snow event, which caused unusually high stream flows, deepening the creek, leaving vertical cut banks, and draining nearby wetlands.

Where beaver ponds had once provided grade control and covered large areas of the floodplain, the now-drier soils began to favor invasive plant species. The understory is now dominated by reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), further suppressing growth of native sedge and forb species. The only remaining native riparian species still easily found in the project area is gray alder (Alnus incana), with a few isolated willow (Salix spp.) plants.

Developed by Michael Pollock (NOAA) and colleagues, BDAs offer a low-cost, simple, and easily scalable technique for mimicking beaver dams. They reduce stream velocity, induce lateral channel migration, and cause rapid aggradation of the streambed, which reconnects the floodplain so it can once again support riparian vegetation.

The long-term vision for BDA projects is that beaver will once again maintain dams to provide local grade control, floodplain connection, and wetland habitats to support a diverse flora and fauna. Sometimes partners like the Okanogan Highlands Alliance, the Washington Department of Ecology, along with many others, just have to help give them the boost they need.

And if you try real hard the good fairy will make you a REAL beaver dam and you will get real beavers to take care of you with no grant funding needed at all! Amazing huh? Maybe these stories DO go together after all. Maybe it’s a reverse case of “Love the sinner hate the sin” kinda thing. Only what gets loved is the dams, and what gets hated is the hero that makes them.

Contrast this story with Martin county in Minnesota where they hate beavers SO much they are raising the bounty on their heads from 20 per trapped beaver to FIFTY,

County tackles gnawing problem

FAIRMONT — The beaver population in Martin County has been on the rise, causing no end of trouble for area farmers.

In December, Martin County commissioners increased the county’s beaver bounty from $20 to $50 per beaver, in an effort to alleviate the issue. According to drainage administrator Michael Forstner, this was necessary because of the low value currently in the market for the pelt.

Paul Grussing, a local trapper utilized by the county, explained the issue and was able to share some insight into the trapping process.

“The previous bounty was $20 for each beaver; at that amount it costs trappers money to trap them,” he said. “Trappers refused to trap them, resulting in a large increase in the population of beavers in Martin County. Traps and lures for beaver trapping are expensive, plus it is hard work.

“The population is quite high in our county, and beavers tend to build their dams in hard to reach areas. Most of my calls begin in September when farmers start their harvest. They see damage to their crops and dams being built.

You poor little snowflake, trapper Paul. Killing beavers is SO hard (and damp) and it’s winter ya know? Good thing you have the county supervisors by the short and curlies and can pry 50 bucks out of their palms for each beaver you take. That means you get several hundred per family. You’re RICH! Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe the bounty doesn’t count sub adults so you just leave the kits to die.

I really, really hate Martin County.

As far as Martin County is concerned, only beavers trapped within a drainage system or within one-quarter mile of a drainage system outlet will be accepted for the bounty,

And tell me, wise ones of Martin county, how, exactly, will you know?

WHY SUING WILDLIFE SERVICES ISN’T ENOUGH

heidi08 What's killing beavers now? February 20, 2018

I thought a lot about yesterday’s news, and was able to have a 20 minute conversation with Dr. Jimmy Taylor at APHIS in Oregon about it. What I learned is that the beaver trapping done by Wildlife Service is only a small portion of the entire trapping of beavers done in the state. This morning I hunted around and tried to figure it out for myself. For starters about a third of the state is individually held private land, which means any landowner can dispose of ANY BEAVER any way he likes, without a permit or agency involvement.

Beavers on Private land: Beaver are defined as a Predatory Animal by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 610.002 on private land. Statute implemented by Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Let’s say another third of the state is federally owed either by the bureau of land management or by the forest service. On public land beavers are considered a ‘protected furbearer’ and there is considerable effort to protect them and the habitat they maintain.

Beavers on Public land Beavers are classified as Protected Furbearers by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 496.004 and Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 635-050-0050 on public land. Statute implemented by ODFW.

The remaining third of the land is divided up by municipalities, state land, etc. These places can use any wildlife control operator who is licensed and approved by the state- either a private WCO or Wildlife Services for their trapping. Case by case permits are not required. Once a month the private WCO needs to file a report saying where and what he trapped (UNLESS it’s a predatory animal on private land (BEAVER). APHIS on the other hand, is required to report take, method of take, and accidental take, and report where it all occurred no matter what.

If APHIS stopped trapping beaver tomorrow forever, all it would mean is that all the work would fall on WCO’s and we would NEVER know this information. Wildlife Services has to keep records and report the numbers to the public. Private trappers don’t.

In my opinion, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Environmental Law Center might be better off suing the department of Agriculture who introduced this language and classified beaver as a predator in the first place making all this craziness possible, or demanding that ODFW be more stringent in it’s laws allowing beaver trapping in general. I hate to be a party-pooper but I’m wondering if this big lawsuit threat is actually meaningless and will do nothing to help beavers OR salmon.

Suing Wildlife Services is a little like invading Iraq after 9/11. We knew they probably weren’t the cause of the problem and it wouldn’t make things better, but we wanted to do something and we knew their address. I’m reminded of the old joke about the man who notices his wife looking for something on the floor and asks what she’s doing.

“I lost my contacts and am trying to find them”
“You lost them in here?” says the man being careful where he steps.
“No.” She answered. “I lost them in the living room but the lights better in here.”

Don’t get me wrong. I hate beaver trapping of all kinds. But at least fur trappers and WS are required by law to report what they do. Too many people aren’t. We need records. I’ll get to them eventually I guess, but I’ll fight with them last after we fix everything else.

You know what ISN’T a waste of our time? And does make a huge difference to the safety of beavers and the way people view them? Having communities who care about them. This week residents in Port Moody B.C. spoke up for the beaver that was killed at the local council meeting. There are precious few things that make me happier than a sight like this. I had to make a film of my favorite moments, but the whole thing is wonderful if you want to see it.

STOP! IN THE NAME OF SALMON

heidi08 Beavers and salmon January 11, 2018

UPDATE:

I just had a phone call with Dr. Jimmy Taylor of APHIS in Oregon. He confirms that WS represents only a small portion of the legal take of beavers. Land owners who have concerns can legally kill beavers without a permit. And agencies who want to get rid of beavers can also use private trappers. Wildlife Services is the easiest target, but by no means the biggest. Also they keep records of the method and number taken, and have to report accidental take, while others don’t.

This is mostly a symbolic shot across the bow.

A little over two months ago you might remember reading here that something BIG happened in beaver world. It was in Oregon where two powerful conservation groups declared they were going to sue wildlife services because they were damaging the salmon population by continuing to trap beavers. Remember that? It was a wild move that had never been done before and it was a big, big deal.

Guess what news broke yesterday?

Threat of lawsuit halts efforts to kill beavers in Oregon

PORTLAND — The U.S. government will temporarily halt a little-known beaver killing program in Oregon, where the rodent is the state animal, appears on the state flag and is the mascot of Oregon State University.

Beavers once played an important role in the state’s economy, earning Oregon the nickname “the beaver state.”

Environmental groups have threatened a lawsuit alleging that the practice of killing the animals reduces the number of dams that create deep pools that are ideal habitat for young, endangered coho salmon.

In a letter released Wednesday by a coalition of environmental groups, the government said it will further study whether the actions violate the Endangered Species Act.

Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said in the Dec. 27, 2017, letter it would “cease all aquatic mammal damage management activities” directed at beavers, river otters, muskrats and mink.

Wildlife Services killed more than 400 beavers in Oregon in 2016 as part of a federal effort to control damage to agricultural fields, timber land and roadways caused by flooding that resulted from beaver dams.

Whoo hoo? A moratorium on beaver trapping! I’m not exactly sure what this means for all the beavers in Oregon, but you can bet I’m going to find out. (In California it wouldn’t mean a heck of a lot because there are plenty of folks that trap beaver besides Wildlife Services). Our counting usually shows APHIS only counts for a third of all the beavers depredated in the state. I’ve asked if Oregon is different and will let you know the answer. For now be grateful that this puts SQUARELY in the public eye the important relationship between killing beavers and harming salmon.

In fact this news broke yesterday in Houston of all places!

Environmentalists say killing beavers to mitigate damage to private agricultural interests harms the environment — particularly endangered salmon species — because the dams help salmon, another Northwest icon.

Beavers are “nature’s engineers,” and their complex dams form deep pools in bubbling streams that shield young salmon and give them a resting place to fatten up as they migrate to the Pacific Ocean, said Andrew Hawley, a staff attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center.

The dams also have been shown to reduce turbidity in streams and maintain stable water levels — even in drought — by blocking and slowing the flow of water. “Instead of going in and just killing them, there are options for live-trapping them and figuring how to move the family units into other areas. Let them do what they do best,” he said.

“They do exactly the type of restoration work that the biologists say we need to do for salmon and coho and steelhead recovery, and they do it for free — and better than we could ever do.”

If you want to support these litigation beaver warriors, send them a little love here: Western Environmental Law Center and Center for Biological Diversity. You know I don’t break out this award ceremony for just any old news story, but this one deserves it. I have already heard from several lawyers watching this case and thinking about launching their own in their respective states.

‘BORROWING’ FOR BEAVERS

heidi08 Beavers and Culvert Protection January 10, 2018

Sitting here watching the world of beavers I can usually trace ideas as they trickle from one location to the next. I can tell how often new headlines are recycled and when they are actually NEW and had never ever been used before.

This particular headline got my attention, not because of it’s novelty, but because of its familiar ring. Other than a Peter Bush article about beaver sex, I’ve only seen it one place in a decade if beaver reporting. And I think you all know where that was.

The Secret Lives of Beavers

Beavers are some of the most misunderstood animals. By nature, the critters gnaw at trees in order to fell them, so that they can create dams… homes, where they live. Unfortunately, in modern times when humans have done all of the felling, there are few trees left for beavers to do what they do best. This is especially true in urban environments, of course.

Where bodies of water are found, or streams/rivers, beavers will still most likely be present. Take, for example, the Scajaquada Creek, and the Buffalo River. Have you ever noticed the metal caging wrapped around the trunks of trees, to protect them from the beavers?

Yes, beavers have it rough. There are few trees, and the ones that are left are protected from their gnawing nature. What’s a beaver to do? They head to Tifft Nature Preserve… that’s what they do.

On Monday, January 15, you are invited to explore the fascinating world of beavers.

“Hidden beneath ice and snow is the busiest animal you’ll ever know! Meet the beavers on a guided hike and indoor workshop investigating real clues at the beaver lodge and hands-on specimens in the classroom.”

In addition to being Martin Luther King day, January 15 is my mom’s birthday! What a wonderful day to teach folks about beavers and the good they do on the landscape. Please start with whoever wrote this article because they should know that beavers don’t live in the dam.

They should also know that stealing other peoples titles is frowned upon in the literary community. (Check out the subtitle under Eager). Like I said, other than the Peter Bush article I haven’t seen this headline used a single time in an entire decade, and now that the book is officially for sale on Amazon someone else suddenly ‘thought’ of it.

Sheesh!

Yesterday there was a city meeting in Port Moody BC and folks showed up to talk about how important the beavers were to the community, and how badly the city had bungled the process to clear the culvert that lead to drowning the kit. I spoke with Judy on the phone for the first time, (which was like hearing my own voice from ten years ago talking back to me). I gave her ideas about where to focus public comment and congratulated her for doing so much so well. They haven’t seen the other parent or the kit since the bungle took place. but one wonderful thing happened that we could celebrate.

A creek on the other side of the subdivision suddenly ‘got’ beavers!

Judy and I talked about how this was likely the other part of the same family, leaving the danger zone and carrying on. I also suggested that there was a chance that the beaver they are still seeing in the area is a yearling they never knew was part of the family, and that the parents had brought the kit to the new zone. It would be pretty unusual for a parent to abandon a kit, I thought. But not so unusual to have a family member you never accounted for. I told her that one year we spent an entire summer SURE that we had two kits, until another one suddenly ‘appeared’ in August. Beavers don’t always show their hand.

They have Secret Lives, as you may have heard.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT A BEAVER LOOKS LIKE, BUT I KNOW HE’S GUILTY!

heidi08 Beavers and Ice January 9, 2018

Salmon-arm British Columbia is located above washington state about midway between Vancouvery and Calgary. It is far enough north that it should know be well able to tell the difference between the national animal and an invasive rodent. But I guess not.

Beavers and balloons blamed for power outages in 2017

BC Hydro compiles a list of most memorable outages of last year

From beavers to balloons, to ships — BC Hydro is recounting the most memorable causes of power outages in 2017. Crews responded to more than 17,800 outages last years with wildfires in the Central and Southern Interior topping the list.

A squirrel chewed through a piece of electrical equipment causing it to catch fire and 180 customers in Burnaby – including a local cheese factory – to lose power.
Loose birthday party balloons contacted power lines and caused an outage to 800 in downtown Vancouver on a Friday evening.
A beaver gnawed a tree that fell on a power line, causing the community of Hixon in Northern B.C. to lose power.

If you don’t know what the animal LOOKS like, how can you possibly know it was responsible for the crime?

Speaking of what beavers look like, there are some nice wintry beaver photos this morning. This one was uploaded to the Canadian Geographic Photo Club by Brittany Crossman from Riverside Canada and shows a pair of beavers in an icy pond.

The second is from our friends Phil Price and Julie Lamont who are vacationing in wintry yellowstone because they are hardy folks and that’s the kind of thing they do. They were excited to find this on an exploration yesterday,

First beaver sighting ever in Yellowstone – and in winter, no less. Clipped willow branches and drag marks on the snow and ice led us to this beaver’s lodge – and as we scanned the area at evening, in hopes of a glimpse, there he was, at the edge of the water. Nature’s best engineers; the Army Corps could learn a lesson or two…

I asked if Phil if he thought this was a hole they made and maintained and he answered

“This section of river has several open leads that I think are naturally open in the unseasonably warm weather here right now (around 30 daytime, 10 at night… Both are about 20 degrees warmer than normal). Maybe the beaver would have to work to keep them open in normal weather, but not right now.”