Looks like Frontenac Ontario might get a little smarter and a lot more compassionate in the coming weeks, which is definitely something to celebrate. Now they’re discussing using Fur-bearing Defenders to come in and install some flow devices to manage dams that caused problems for the roadways this year.
Road works officials from Frontenac townships reported that beaver dams damaged more than 25 roads this spring. Trappers enlisted by Central and North Frontenac killed an estimated 300 beavers. “Municipalities hit the panic button and call a trapper and that’s it,” said Lesley Fox, executive director for the Association for the Protection of Fur- Bearing Animals.
Jake Emiston: The Whig Standard
Adrian Nelson is the young man who bought Mike’s DVD, consulted with him on the phone, did his first flow device install in October , came to the State of the Beaver Conference in February, and has been working like a beaver missionary since then. He’s also got the youthful, well-scrubbed and trustworthy look that makes him a good candidate for convincing gnarled unbelievers and 40 more years of cheerful installations.
If the Frontenac townships agree to bring in Fox’s expert, she’ll send Adrian Nelson. Nelson has advised several B. C municipalities and has personally constructed beaver deceivers and bafflers for private land owners. He recently built a pipeline leveller in Burnaby, B. C, inserting a large piece of piping into a dam to allow water flow to continue. The entrance of the pipe is blocked by fencing to prevent beavers from stopping the flow. According to Nelson, most structures cost between $150 and $300, with all materials available at hardware stores. Nelson will provide diagrams and how-to videos to any interested municipalities. If he’s asked to conduct a demonstration, he said he won’t charge any money. Nelson said the fence structures and pipelines can last as long as 15 years, allowing beavers to maintain dams without risking floods and washouts.
Pipeline leveller? Not sure if that’s the reporter misquoting or Adrian’s creation, but okay. Call it what you want just build it right and show Ontario that beaver problems can be managed without trapping. Good luck and let’s see what happens.
And here’s an ominous bit of history to end on…
- The Record Union Sacramento – 1899
