And on the day when the mean drunk(s) moved into the China cabinet, people still found time to complain about those awful beavers.
It’s true what they say about beavers being real busy
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Industrious beavers can cause headaches for landowners when their work causes water backups in fields and pastures.
Removing a dam without eliminating the animals doesn’t work because beavers tend to rebuild quickly. Because live relocation of beavers — and any other wild animal — is banned in Minnesota, killing them is the most viable option.
If beaver damage occurs on your land, the animals can be shot or trapped without a license or permit. However, you must contact your local Department of Natural Resources officer or area wildlife staff within 24 hours of killing one. A answering machine message is sufficient if you leave your name, address, phone number and the number of beavers killed.
The sad part is that as miserable as this shoddy excuse for beaver management is, it’s still better than California where the number of beavers killed is an X value that no one will ever determine. We assume it’s somewhat less than the Y value (The number of beaver for which permission has been given to kill) but we honestly have no idea.
After the killing recommendation where the article outlines how free and convenient it is to trap them, it at least offers a few other options.
• Water levels in the beaver pond can be controlled by special devices such as the Clemson beaver pond leveler. Contact your local DNR office for more information.
• Protect trees in your yard by putting hardware cloth cylinders at least 30 inches tall around the tree’s base. Electric fencing can protect larger areas.
• Plant native evergreens that beavers don’t like or other shrubs that regrow after beaver damage — red osier, dogwood, pussy or prairie willow are some options.
I’m not sure why on earth anyone would want to do those extra steps when killing beavers so inexpensive and easy, but well, okay then.
Busy beavers cause flooding at West Kelowna’s Rotary Trails Park
WEST KELOWNA – The City of West Kelowna is temporarily closing the Rotary Trails Park due to the flooding caused by beaver activity. The combination of flood water and icy trails is causing extremely slippery conditions, according to a media release from the City of West Kelowna.
Public safety is cited as the reason for the closure of the Gellatly Road park.
The press release states the park is prone to flooding during the snow melt and the movement and activity of the beavers has contributed to the problem. The Parks Department is watching the conditions and will send notice to the public when Rotary Trails Park is reopened.
Kelowna is in British Columbia just north of Washington. We are not sure how it is they know the flooding was caused by beavers, and not oh, say, WEATHER, but I’m sure they have some scientific method to determine whodunit. There’s a picture with the article of a beaver in the zoo, so there’s that. Obviously the essential feature of any beaver article isn’t the actual evidence or investigative journalism:
It’s that you use the word BUSY in the headline.
That is all. You may now turn back to your regularly scheduled horrors. Apparently the NEA is gone, as is the Humanities grant. But I’m mostly worried about our National Parks. Which apparently will not be sold -YET- but opened now for “Multiple Use”. Which means drilling.
And remember Ryan Zinke, the nominee for Interior Secretary who called himself a Teddy Roosevelt Republican, and who professed his allegiance to the “Gifford Pinchot” model for “multiple use” of our public lands? The oil industry sees him as a bit of a ray of light. From Petroleum World:
“Yes,” he said in response to a question from Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska about whether he would review drilling curbs imposed by President Barack Obama’s administration in her state, home to vast petroleum deposits both onshore and beneath Arctic waters. “I can guarantee you it is better to produce energy domestically under reasonable regulation than overseas with no regulation … We need an economy.”
