In conversation this weekend with Skip Lisle, we talked about our concerns for the watershed work proposed for discussion in Wednesday’s Agenda. Skip shared my thought that this could significantly impact the beavers and felt that he could offer no assurance of their safety without clearly reviewing the proposal outline. He emphasized that the allegations of the property owners have not been proven, and that since the risk of disrupting the beavers is so high there is a need to verify their concerns before any work begins.
With that in mind, I spent some time researching the grant, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and the California Environmental Qualities Act. (By the way, I never appreciated before what a truly insightful piece of legistlation this was. It’s a great read. Here’s my favorite part:
§ 21000. Legislative intent(c) There is a need to understand the relationship between the maintenance of high-quality ecological systems and the general welfare of the people of the state, including their enjoyment of the natural resources of the state.
Worth A Dam is sending a letter to the city outlinining our concerns and the legal basis for them. We offer four proposals, which I thought I’d share so that you can start thinking in terms of what the city needs to do to protect the beavers as it undertakes this work.
We would therefore propose the city implement the following:
1. A GPR study should be done of the area to learn whether the bank, in fact, is significantly compromised and warrants any repairs. Money for this study should be fronted by the property owners and reimbursed by the city if such damage is discovered. If not, the bank work should be delayed until the beavers voluntarily vacate that lodge.
2. Any work proposed on either bank as part of this project should be submitted to Skip Lisle, MS for review and consideration of likely impact on the beavers. His input should be presented for public consideration prior to pursuit of grant monies or initial excavation.
3. Worth A Dam should be named a primary consultant in this work and be included in implementation and planning meetings. This will allow for constantly updated information about our beaver colony, as well as maximizing public knowledge and community support for the project.
4. When work is undertaken, a live feed camera should be installed at the site so that the area is visible either on the city website or Worth A Dam website and the health and safety of the beavers can be more easily monitored.
Of primary concern is our position that this work can be hugely impactful to our beavers. There is some talk that piling can be driven behind the lodge with minimal disruption, or even that the top of the lodge could be removed “to make sure the slats won’t hurt the beavers”. (I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t stay in any home where near a piledriver.) I can think of no way that this happens without displacing our colony, perhaps permanently. Come wednesday and remind the city to tread lightly.
[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=95kyCZA6FLA]
