Comments from readers
Heidi Perryman: Beavers can also do restorative work in cities and parks, too, without the trouble and risk of translocation. Too often it is considered easier to kill or relocate, rather than solve the challenges they are causing in the first place. My city installed a flow device six years ago to control beaver flooding; now we have a stable pond and because of the beaver-tended wetlands we regularly see otters, steelhead, heron and even mink in a tiny urban stream.
Plus, since the beavers remained, they use their own territorial behaviors to keep away others.
Imagine that Washington state is deep crystalline pool of beaver wisdom and the other states are washcloths slowly soaking it up. Knowledge seeps out to the closest neighbors so that Oregon is wetter (smarter) than California and everybody is smarter than Texas. Almost against its better judgment, Idaho is starting to get damp and now Montana is next on the campaign trail. Amy Chadwick has been teaming up with Skip Lisle to install flow devices there, and I am very happy that my letter provides support and emphasis along the way.
Which is not to say that there are not other fonts of knowledge around the country, Utah, Colorado, New York, Vermont, even bitter Massachusetts – but something about the geography of those states swallows that wisdom into a sink hole. The soil beneath is either too hollow or too bedrocky for moisture to pass through and out to the borders. It just can’t seep. Our own state has been dry of beaver knowledge for so long it will take a while to permeate the soil, but I’m hopeful nevertheless. Eventually we’ll all reach saturation point and start spilling into the borders.
And then Ohio and Pennsylvania better watch out.
