WHY CAN’T WE BE MORE LIKE WYOMING?

You remember the office party We threw for Montana yesterday when it published that awesome article about why beavers shouldn’t be trapped for sport because they were valuable to the state? The conference table is still scattered with paper cups from the champagne  we sneaked in through the lobby but it’s time to celebrate again. Find a cleanish one because we’re going to party hard today at this news from its downstairs neighbor. This was released yesterday by the Wyoming Game and Fish in Department.

The bulletin has 10  seriously glowing pages outlining the benefits beavers bring to the ecosystem and water table. It even discusses flow devices and wrapping trees. It’s a update of an article originally written in 1993 by Tom Collins of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department through the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Updated by Justin Joiner and Jim Wasseen in 2019. Remember those names because something tells me those officers are going to be our new best friends.

I’m just going to excerpt a few stunning paragraphs at random, but you need to read the entire thing yourself, from cover to cover. I mean it. Then close your eyes and just try imagining a bulletin like this coming from CDFW. I dare you.

This is the opening paragraph:

Many land managers have realized that beaver can play a very cost-effective role in riparian habitat man-agement and enhancement. With the exception of humans, a single beaver can modify its environment more dramatically than any individual of any species in North America. Beaver are occasionally referred to as “grassroots conservationists” because of their water impoundment and conservation efforts in our nation’s watersheds. Without beaver on our Wyoming head-waters, downstream flooding would be more severe each spring, and water conservation would be a much more serious concern. The manpower and monetary costs of providing the benefits beaver provide would be staggering.

It just gets better from here. Honestly, if you go pour through it you’ll be rewarded with some of the best beaver photos I’ve seen – I’m still trying to find their source. This was my favorite but I’ll show you Ben Goldfarb’s soon.

“…even in areas where beaver are a nuisance, management practices can sometimes be employed to preserve existing land uses while maintaining the benefits beaver provide.”

Prepare to have your jaw dropped and your eyes popped. This is an amazing document and considering the source a uncanny and incredible document. This is the kind of document that I would  burst into tears over if I it had anything whatsoever to do with our efforts. i asked Joe Wheaton if he knew about it and he said yes they had sent him edits along the way and that they wanted to do this after his workshop there last year.  All I can say is that the world is dam lucky to have Dr. Wheaton on the job.

“Beaver ponds stabilize water-sheds by moderating high flows and reducing downstream flood-ing; maintaining more constant summer flows; storing water during flooding and releasing wa-ter during droughts. Ponds retain sediment and organic matter, thus improving fish habitat, and the increase in water surface area produces a corresponding increase in total aquatic productivity. These ponds also provide important pool habitat for certain fish species, additional recreational opportunities (fishing, wildlife viewing, etc. and diverse scenery.”

Here’s Ben’s favorite photo – it’s a beaver stepping into a BDA and saying, “thanks guys for getting this started for me, I think I’ve got this from here“.

Do you think every other fish and game in every other state is kicking themselves that Wyoming got their first? Me neither. I think it’s probably more like the outraged republican response to that lone GOP congressman who called for impeachment. This is heresey and everyone is quick to point it out.

But wow, Just wow. This might be my very favorite part.

BEAVER CONTROL AND MINIMIZING BEAVER DAMAGE

Where beaver are in conflict with existing land uses, land managers can exercise options other than elimination of the beaver population. The riparian habitat benefits lost with total beaver control often outweigh the elimination of a nuisance problem. Since beaver fill a key role in perpetuating riparian habitat, each case should be evaluated on a site-specific basis. Without this consideration, the land manager may incorrectly interpret and react to the problem.

For example, a landowner once requested assistance in removing an estimated 200 to 300 beaver on a three-mile stream segment. During review, a wild-life biologist discovered that the area was marginal beaver habitat and only one colony was present. The landowner was seeing beaver cutting activity over the entire stream segment, much of which was old. The more recent activity from the single colony was re-stricted to about one mile of stream. It is likely that this colony’s home range was large because of marginal habitat. Multiple dams and/or dwellings were thought to reflect a larger beaver population than actually ex-isted. The landowner failed to realize that no direct relationship exists between the number of dams and dwellings and the number of beaver in an area.

So the land owner complained that there were 200-300 beaver living in his 3 mile stream and he asked for help in getting rid of them. He had no idea that beavers will chew trees in more than one area and that the number of dams and lodges can’t tell you the number of beavers. Staff determined there was a single family on site.

I need to sit down. i’m feeling faint.

Now I am tearing up because if you saw how many depredation permits we have reviewed with outrageous complaints about beavers based on zero zero possibility that they could be true, and no one from CDFW goes to check  or verify they just hand out the permit that says “hey kill as many as you can find, thanks.”

But Wyoming checked.

TREE REMOVAL

Removal of valuable trees, ornamentals, or entire tree stands by beaver is another concern of land managers. Ornamental damage is usually associated with rural homes and occasionally with urban situations. Techniques such as exclusion fencing and/or wrapping have successfully deterred beaver from cutting ornamentals.

Oh Oh Oh. Exclusion fencing and wrapping trees recommended by the wyoming game and fish department. I’m beyond faint. I feel positively convulsive. Why can’t california have this?

CONCLUSION

Because of their ability to dramatically alter their environment, beaver can play a key role in riparian habitat management. Several agencies and numerous publications are available which provide the land manager with proven riparian habitat management techniques
 

Oh sure, just go around writing smart things about beavers and checking outrageous lies while California fish and wildlife just sits and picks its nose and learns NOTHING despite all the smart thinking that goes on around us. Just continue showing how skilled and responsive you can be to wildlife and riparian structure and we’ll just watch enviously while our entire state burns from the top to the bottom.

Still, it’s wonderful that wyoming has learned so much and is able to share its knowledge. We’re happy for you.

Really happy.