Another great letter to the editor from Vermont.

Letter: Why are we killing the one animal that can increase wildlife habitat?

To the editor: “The conservation of the fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the people of Vermont.” That is the official mission statement of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. There is one animal that greatly facilitates the achievement of this mission: the North American beaver.

Beavers create some of the richest, most biologically productive habitats on earth, comparable to rainforests and coral reefs. For this reason, they are known as a “keystone” species for biodiversity. Yet recreational trapping, licensed by the Fish and Wildlife Department, kills over 1,000 beavers a year, on average, throughout the state. This recreational trapping is directly inimical to the Department’s stated mission, to conserve good wildlife habitat, because without the presence of beavers to maintain dams, they quickly erode and the valuable wetland habitat is lost.

Well sure, if biodiversity and that kind of thing are important to you. Don’t forget to mention storing water, reducing fires and slowing floods too. That seems pretty important.

Moreover, recreational trapping is completely separate from the issue of how to deal with “nuisance” beavers whose dams block culverts, resulting in the flooding of town roads and private driveways. Almost all such conflicts can nowadays be resolved non-lethally, by means of water-flow control devices (WFCDs). Trapping is not a “solution” at all, since new beavers almost always move into the empty conflict site within 1-2 years. Only WFCDs can provide long-term, non-lethal solutions that are in fact far more cost effective than trapping.

From almost any perspective, beavers are far more valuable alive than dead. But a similar argument can be made for almost any other furbearer that is currently trapped. For example, foxes, coyotes, mink, weasels, bobcats, and other predators of mice are our first line of defense against Lyme Disease, which has its second highest incidence right here in Vermont. Moreover, Vermont’s apex predators such as coyotes and bobcats help prevent runaway population growth of herbivore species that can decimate local vegetation cover necessary for sustaining many other species.

Ahh well wfcg! I never heard them referred to that way before. But I agree with your point. In Martinez we installed a WFCD and it solved our problem for TFY.

Ten fricken years!

Wildlife belongs to all Vermonters, which is why it is important that ordinary citizens get involved in issues that impact their welfare. Trapping is one issue where a solid majority of Vermonters — 75 percent — agree that its harmful impacts upon animals —which include domestic as well as wild, since dogs and cats are routinely caught in leghold traps — far outweigh any perceived benefits to humans and therefore should be banned. Contact your local elected officials and ask them to make wildlife protection a priority!

John Aberth

Ahh nicely done. Now I would never weaken a good beaver argument by combining it with an anti=trapping statement, but I have to respect a good point when I see it. Nicely done, John. Beavers deserve lots of chances in Vermont.