Girl meets beaver. Girl tries to save beaver. Girl approaches mayor about beaver. Girl implores warden about beaver. Warden promise not to kill beaver. Girl leaves, comforted. Warden hires trapper.
8 beavers and a destroyed dam later, girl is pissed.
The girl in this case is Taryn Greendeer, formerly of Clinton Wisconsin. The warden is Dave Matheys DNR (Department of Natural Resources) or (Do Not Resuscitate, i forget). The trapper was Jeff Holey of Westby. And the sympathetic town chairman who patted her hand and then quietly urged DNR to take care of the problem was Jim Neubauer. This being Wisconsin there are exactly zero news stories on the short-sighted deception as of yet. There was some outcry locally and a warden, (Shawna Stringberg) (uh oh, people are pissed, better send in the girl) was sent in to do a townhall meeting with the folk who wanted answers.
At the meeting there was an apologetic air but an insistance that the action was necessary because the beavers had ‘dug an 8 foot tunnel under the road’. Ahhh Martinez. You trained us so well. Just 8 feet? If you’re going to lie why not 20 feet? why not 50? I believe when we installed sheetpiling it was because the beavers had tunneled as far as main street. Or something.
I suppose its theoretically possible that the beavers dug under the road. But remember they aren’t coal miners. They aren’t going for miles. And being as you clearly have the entire resources of the DNR at your disposal you could probably think of a different solution than killing an entire family and several unborn kits after promising to protect them. You know, riprap, fencing, crocodiles. I’m curious, how does Wisconsin feel about beaver abortions?
Alright, so Taryn is hoping that a few family members were saved and we wish her luck. I told her to get some school children onsite stat, singing or coloring or planting trees for a beaver memorial. And on the way to pick up the phone and call the local papers. It’s hard work to learn new things, especially if you’ve receive a government paycheck. I wrote Mr. Matheys and Ms. Stringberg about the valuable role beavers play in the habitat and suggested they look into real solutions.
I’m sure it would be helpful if you could write too. And drop a note to Taryn on her facebook page. It’s lonely work saving beavers!
Taryn Power Greendeer: Bent Tree Pond
Beaver Failure is an Orphan: Update
Dave Matheys writes back to say it wasn’t he that hired the trapper, he wouldn’t have the authority to do that, and that he was working on making installation of a flow device possible. Hmmm. I wonder who did? Could you check the name on your paycheck Mr. Holey? The beavers of Wisconsin are dying of curiosity.
