If you’re like me, you get tired of the same old beaver bad news stories out there – beaver trapping in New York, beaver flooding in Maine, beavers getting scraped out of the watershed in Chico – it’s all a little depressing. So this morning I have a special treat to take you solidly through the rest of your week. Let’s call it the Beaver Good News!
This morning I heard from our friends at Tahoe that they had a very productive meeting with public works and showed the beaver management DVD. I’ll let Denise explain for herself:
Just wanted to let you know the meeting with Cheryl and Peter from public works at King’s Beach went really well. He welcomed the opportunity to learn more about solutions and after viewing the video realized how simple it is to deal with beaver issues. I really believe this whole thing was borne out of ignorance and his willing to work with us is promising. They are setting up a community meeting in the next few weeks and will work on how to fix the problems together as a community. Gee-what a concept huh? Anyway he seems to want to set an example here in the Tahoe Basin-let’s hope that happens!
Wow! I’m so happy to read that Tahoe will consider being smarter than a beaver! It’s fantastic that people could look at actual explanations and feel new solutions are possible. Wouldn’t it be great if the place people go to see nature actually started working with nature?
Speaking of humane solutions, my letter to the Reporter was printed today, and beaver friend WHG writes that his letter will be printed in Scottish wildlife:
Why does the SNH report referred to in Wider News (issue 71) comment on a potential disturbance to trees by beavers? Of course they are going to be disturbed. They are going to be cut down and then they are going to coppice and grow again. These are willows, poplars, aspens and so forth. They grow like weeds. By cutting them down, the beavers let light into the bottom story of the surrounding forest, benefiting herbs shrubs and grasses, and creating meadows for grazing animals. In other words they are diversifying the terrestrial environment, not to mention, of course their huge beneficial effect on the water environment. William Hughes-Games, New Zealand
And finally, in response to this issue of “who’s killing beavers now” Sharon Brown of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife is sending the following letter;
As a biologist who has focused on lasting solutions to beaver problems for twenty years, I’m writing about the Waddington Town Board’s plan to trap beavers (10/16/10 story). Studies show that removing beavers gives only an expensive, short-term solution as area survivors will migrate ten miles or more into the empty habitat.
Waddington’s Animal Control Officer initially had the right response when he advised landowners to protect their trees (our educational nonprofit has detailed information about this: see BeaversWW.org). Leave any trees already felled, so they won’t be stimulated to cut more. Being proactive once is much less costly than repeatedly hiring trappers.
Many people are unaware that beavers have natural population control because each family posts and protects a large territory from other paddle-tails, they reproduce only once a year and litter size relates to the food available. But when the resident beavers are killed, others in the area respond with larger litters.
Kits stay with their parents for two years and need to be cared for by a wildlife rehabber when the adults are killed. Liability is a growing concern as pet dogs and rare species have died in the Conibear traps set for beavers. This has led to hefty lawsuits.
Win-win solutions are available that benefit both nature and taxpayers.
Now, if your heads aren’t too full of good beaver news from sea to shining sea, go read this article about beaver relocation by our friends at the Lands Council. Joe Cannon says the article is riddled with colorful misunderstandings but the gist is clearly communicated.
The nine beavers were live-trapped by The Lands Council, a Spokane-based nonprofit. They’ll be released on private property near Priest River, where the landowner wants beaver dams and ponds for wildlife habitat and water storage.
The Lands Council has identified 10,000 miles of Eastern Washington’s creeks and streams where beaver could be re-established. Beaver dams connect streams to the flood plain, storing water and slowing a river or creek’s velocity. Their ponds also create rich habitat areas for other wildlife.
“We’re trying to monitor the ways that beavers change the ecosystem,” said Joe Cannon, beaver program assistant.
Just so you know, I met Joe when he asked about beavers in captivity on Mike’s beaver management forum on facebook. He and Amanda are coming to present at the State of the beaver conference in Oregon. Is the beaver world small enough for you or what?
