Oregon is still waiting for the Governor to do the right thing. I’m pretty sure she will.
Beaver Bill awaits governor’s signature, big change for Oregon’s beaver population
The Beaver Bill, formally known as House Bill 3464, will require a permit from the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to use lethal measures for beaver control. In addition, the management of beavers will shift from agricultural regulators to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the East Oregonian.
Well it got this far but with glowing articles like this one it might just not get any farther.
Beaver activity is destructive to timber, crops, and ornamental or landscape plants. In addition, increased water levels caused by the dams can interfere with septic systems, roads or other human structures, according to ODFW.
Beavers, obstinate in their nature, are not easy to remove from wetlands. According to the USDA, beaver management can be costly and difficult, especially for well-established colonies.
Such flattery may just turn my head. I’m getting weak in the knees from all this sweet talk. Sheesh.
According to Kamal, once a beaver family has identified a suitable habitat, they will likely stick to that habitat. Even if beavers are removed, another beaver family will likely recolonize the area. In addition, the population of that beaver family does not grow exponentially, it stays roughly the same size.
“It’s not going to double, triple and explode on your property. Beavers are very territorial, so they will actually keep other beaver families out. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to coexist with the beaver family you have,” Kamal said.
Beavers are classified as keystone species, meaning that other species in an ecosystem largely depend on them.
According to ODFW, woody debris from the dams helps provide safety to juvenile salmon and trout from predators. Leaf litter in beaver ponds helps stimulate aquatic insect production, which provides food to many fish, amphibians, waterfowl, bats and songbirds.
Well sure. They help other animals. But is that my problem? Am I my species keeper? Why shouldn’t any landowner just kill them if he want’s too?
In addition, beaver wetlands help to improve water quality by trapping silt, removing excess nutrients, binding and removing toxic chemicals, and filtering out sediment, ODFW said.
According to Kamal, beavers can also help mitigate climate change impacts such as fires and droughts. “Beaver-modified habitats and beaver-created meadows and wetlands are really beneficial in creating firebreaks, water banks and water storage for wildlife and livestock,” said Kamal.
The Beaver Bill plans to address the role that beavers play in the mitigation of climate change effects.
“During the 2023 legislative session, there was much discussion focused on the importance of having beavers on the landscape due to their ability to modify landscapes to benefit fish, wildlife and humans,” Dennehy said.
Oh allright, I get it. Beavers do good stuff too. Hmm this is a puzzle. Are you suggesting that landowners should look beyond the temporary conflict and think of the larger picture?
That might just be crazy enough to work.
