UPDATE: Thanks Gary! and Nate!
Remember the story from Calgary where a pet owner was surprised to find a severed beaver head on the hiking trail?
It’s unfortunate that pet owners feel threatened when there are effective, proven solutions to beaver issues that avoid trapping and preserve valuable wetlands. Beavers are a keystone species and their dams make essential wetlands for other wildlife as well as recharging the water table and improving water quality. NOAA even advocates their significant role in restoring salmon populations.
Here are some resources for long term beaver management that don’t involve a severed head on the trail.
Beaver Solutions DVDLiving with beavers
Installing a Flexible Leveler
Any city smarter than a beaver can keep a beaver.
Heidi Perryman, Ph.D. President & Founder Worth A Dam www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress
Dear Ms. Perryman:
Thank you for providing me with a copy of your e-mail regarding beaver solutions that you sent to the Calgary Herald. I appreciate the opportunity to provide the following information.
There are many beavers that live in Alberta’s provincial parks. Beavers, however, are highly prolific animals that reproduce very successfully without any significant natural predator control. When beaver populations are not managed, beavers can have a serious impact on trails, roadways and destruction of large areas of vegetation, including trees, in the beavers’ constant search for food and building materials. Relocation of beavers is generally not feasible as this requires alternative, acceptable habitat that is currently free of beaver. Beavers can be territorial and may not be accepted by existing colonies.
In many of our parks, including Fish Creek Provincial Park, trees are wired and water level flow devices are utilized as part of beaver management control activities. The Parks Division’s preferred approach is preventative; however, it is also recognized that other management actions may be necessary, if there is a real threat to public safety or facilities. Education, signs and enforcement are used to ensure safety of our park visitors. Beaver-damaged trees are also often removed, as they may jeopardize the safety of our park users.
I appreciate the links you provided and will review this information for further consideration in our beaver management program.
Sincerely,
Cindy Ady Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation 21407See we have to kill them because there’s a LOT and its really, really hard. Do you have any idea how hard? We put up signs and we build useless flow devices that can’t solve the problems. But you know we CARE because our minister of tourism is taking the time to write you back. Plan your vacation today!
