Woodlands County offers a service to it’s ratepayers with explosive results. The beaver flood control program provided by the county uses dynamite to blast away beaver dams that are flooding resident’s properties.
Dawn Fortin, Woodlands County manager of agricultural services, says that the intention of the service is to relieve flooding on private property and near roads to protect infrastructure. “We call it our beaver flood control program,” Fortin said. “We’ll remove the dam using dynamite or sometimes we use mechanical means like a backhoe.”
Ahh yes, no one is happier than a technician with explosives at a beaver dam. Sure it destroys wetlands for fish, birds and wildlife, does nothing to prevent flooding, destroys creek channels and will need to be repeated next year, but at least the price is right:
Glen Renfert, agricultural services technician, performs the service and is an employee of the county. The service costs only $70 and according to Renfert, just covers the cost of materials.”We don’t want to make a profit on it,” Fortin said. “If you get a whole bunch of dams on the property and there are some that are not causing an issue. We don’t just blow them up just because. If we only need to remove two or three out of five, we’re going to save them that much money. We don’t want to incur more costs for them unnecessarily.”
Of course you know that beavers would just rebuild right? And that all those materials from the blown up dam might still snag and cause flooding.
Prior to blasting, the county sends trappers out to the location to trap the beavers. Once the beavers are removed, then the removal of the dam can begin. “Our trapper is a licensed trapper so he can harvest the beaver for its pelt,” Fortin said. “Other trappers use the animal for bait, the pelts aren’t worth much in the summer.”Woodlands County has a permit from AESRD to be able to perform the service during the off-season for trappers. Starting on May 1, and until Oct. 31, the county can perform the service for residents.
Well at least you’re thorough.
A story this funny needs a punchline. And I have one. The article is from Alberta, Canada. Which puts them around two hours from the top beaver researcher in the world. In fact, Dr. Glynnis Hood is currently doing research to establish the effectiveness of flow devices to regulate flooding. She might even be willing to send some students down to install a flow device for free. But go ahead, spend the 70 bucks.
And speaking of willfully misguided beaver decisions that don’t work anyway, guess who I heard from last night? Our old friends at the 4 seasons senior complex outside El Dorado Hills. Where neighbors got together to protect some beavers in 2012. They were eventually thwarted by the Orwellian HOA who hired USDA to kill the beavers and swing the dead bodies dramatically past the protesters. Blood under the bridge. Guess what’s back not two years later?
We have a new beaver population that has just moved into four seasons.Their fate is up in the air even though we have a new HOA board.They have tentatively agreed to work with us on the issue but I am not convinced of this. Would you be willing to send and email to HOA board telling them of your success and expertise in this area? Let me know.
I was very sad to learn that the trapping-nazis at the four seasons had refused to try non-lethal solutions (even if someone else paid for it) (even if there was no danger from flooding) (even if it made their facility look bad) and had already hired a trapper to place 5 traps underwater. The Sierra Wildlife coalition fought valiantly to get even a temporary stay of execution, and Dick Parsons who had started the petition to save the beavers actually drove to Martinez with his wife, had lunch downtown and called me for a tour of our beaver habitat and flow device. Since I was at work Jon met the very nice couple and walked the dams with them. They saw a green heron and a muskrat and several mallards, and expressed their sadness that apparently problem-solving skills just aren’t what they used to be.
Later Jerry posted on facebook that he believes the beavers are dead and I could feel his heavy-hearted resignation. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to face that in a community with people you had to see every day – where you had to look across the creek in your own backyard and see the backyard of the very neighbor who wanted the beaver eliminated. Back in the drama days we had fierce opponents living nearby too, but mostly they were not voices accustomed to public scrutiny – preferring to make their influence in the background, slinking from the darkness to cast their spells and disappearing again from public view. Different from the fallout that comes from violently disagreeing with the neighbor you see every sunday in the coffee shop or at church.
The closest I could come to imagining what their loss might feel like was the horrific days after the sheet pile decision was made. I remember those days tasting like ashes and I remember the lost, falling, bereft feeling I had every waking moment. Within a day or two I managed tomove into combat mode, and I found new goals to move forward, but that horrible night where the city council voted to put metal through the beaver lodge, and told me I could be on the citizen oversight committee as long as I didn’t try to alter or affect the work in any way – (and I tearfully declined) – that night was the blackest beaver advocacy moment I have ever faced.
Now on the other side, I can be somewhat grateful for the severity of that night, because the beavers weren’t killed by the decision, (although mom’s eye condition was never seen before its effects) because it released me from the need to “behave” and “make nice” and freed me to use every possible skill at my disposal to push without worrying about looking ‘pushy’ – more so because it showed me that the rules I had been playing by weren’t in fact the actual rules at all, and that the real contract driving the city had nothing to do with the one on paper. Of course, the fact that it was all for a big lie helped a great deal of course and in a way I will always be grateful for the clarity.
So Jerry and Dick and Helen and all beaver supporters at Four Seasons, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for your beavers and sorry for your hearts, which probably feel a little bruised today. You did something good and compassionate and even though you couldn’t stop the outcome you made an incredible difference. It may not feel like that right now, but you should know that you did. People will remember this story the next time beavers come to Four Seasons, or to your neighbors in El Dorado Hills, or even Elk Grove. You introduced a new way to think, and a new way to solve problems and it will make a difference. I’m going to reprint this letter which made us feel so much better so many years ago – because you deserve it. Thank you for your good effort.
This is a letter from Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions to Heidi, but we really think it applies to everyone who has supported the beavers:Dear “Beaverlady”, 😉
Your efforts are Herculean. It is so difficult to promote coexistence with beavers in an urban setting, especially one that is prone to flooding without beavers. Nevertheless, your efforts have given these beavers a fighting chance at survival.
Irregardless of the City’s final decision with the M. beavers I hope you can see that your efforts have had huge positive effects for not only the Martinez beavers, but also for beavers everywhere. Along with others, you personally have raised beaver awareness in the California masses. Not an easy task, and extremely important if our society is to evolve a better culture of coexistence with the animals on this planet.
I thought you should know how impressive your efforts and results have already been, because I know when a person is in the middle of a fight it is hard to see the entire battleground. I’m glad you are involved. Thanks.
I’m thinking a trip to Martinez, a cold beer and a nice bout of beaver watching would be just the thing for your spirits right now! Don’t worry, it’s on us!
From the Sierra Wildlife Coalition:
We are so very sorry, and know how awful it feels to lose a friendly beaver that you had enjoyed watching…. and for no reason. Jim is following through with DFG to see if the permit was given properly, and thought perhaps KCRA or the Sacramento Bee might be willing to do a follow-up….
You all did a great job of raising awareness of inhumane and unnecessary trapping, which as Heidi says, is not easy when your own neighbors are on the other side…. thank you. We will all work to make sure it does not happen again.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — Cubby the beaver was carried out of an El Dorado Hills neighborhood on a pitchfork Wednesday morning.
Trappers caught the animal and removed it from the area.
Several traps remain, just in case there are more beavers in the Four Seasons community.
“Mock tombstones and beaver signs draped in black cloth are being erected in memory of Cubby,” said Jim Sajdak, of the Sierra Wildlife Coalition, in an email to KCRA 3. “The (coalition) has sent documentation to the California Department of Fish & Game showing that removing beavers by a depredation process has proven to be an ineffective long-term solution, as well as a degradation to a wetland area.”
The decision on what to do with the beaver had previously split the community.\
KILLING FIELDS IN EL DORADO HILLS (Letter to the Editor by Resident)
Cubby, the Beaver and family, are being trapped and drowned in the quiet, pristine community of Four Seasons in El Dorado Hills, just off White Rock Road. This morning at 8:07 I witnessed an employee of Dept. of Fish & Game carrying Cubby’s dead body! What’s worse is that my husband and I, along with other members of our community, had staged an effort to get our Homeowners Association Board to slow down, to study, to educate themselves about beavers and their habitats. But, they voted three to one to kill the beaver. That was one week ago to the day!!! And now, looking out that same window I see a vulture poised on a rock, eyeing the open space. He smells death and so do I. The killing fields of El Dorado Hills. And here I am living in it.
