Use nonlethal measures on beaver in Beaver Creek Park

It was a pleasure visiting Beaver Creek Park earlier this year and having the opportunity to meet many personally involved with decisions regarding beaver. The public meeting with three experts regarding beaver was helpful, insightful, and consistent with our knowledge and observations. We appreciate, Commissioner Chair Mark Peterson, arranging to have them speak.

As decisions again approach for beaver in Beaver Creek Park, we do hope the points and advice presented will be heeded. Since the stream was simplified, beaver are attempting to naturalize the park. Now there are substructures built on the floodplains creating conflicts. Flooding, was said, will occur even without the beaver. Outhouses were observed close to the river. Giardia does correlate often with cabin outhouses with higher levels in high use recreational areas.

It was great, though, to hear there is funding available for infrastructures, for recreational trails, and so on, and how affordable some improvements and non-lethal strategies are. Experts provided a variety of considerations, i.e. upgrade to a small bridge for the Boy Scout Camp, gazebos are too close to the river, a culvert is too small at the road crossing. Trap Free Montana also has funding earmarked for non-lethal methods. An easy project, provided it is done correctly, is to wrap trees. The tree wrappings observed in the park do not fit this description. In addition, where applicable, flow devices are reportedly 87%-97% effective and for many years. Again, if they are professionally done and not homemade.

Nowadays is the most important time to support the work of the beaver. We are in a statewide declared drought. Fires are underway. Areas are drying up, temperatures are high, water is down, and grasshoppers are expanding in magnitudes across agricultural land. Predictions are the worst is yet to come. What happens on the Beaver Creek River goes beyond there. These beaver are saving critically necessary water far more than the eye can see. They are providing essential browse for animals such as cattle, deer. The beaver also creates fire breaks. Beaver deepen waters, provide shade, benefitting fish and increasing their size. The beaver’s tree cutting often stimulates new growth, i.e. willows, aspen, cottonwoods.

What is scientifically and ecologically imperative is a sunset clause on the trapping of beaver. Forty-five beaver have already been reported trapped and killed over seven months into this year just in Beaver Creek Park. This would have destroyed family groups, pregnant females, dependent baby kits, yearlings, and the 2-year-olds just setting off independently on their own. Beaver are monogamous and mate for life.  It is unknown who else may have been trapped and killed as trapping is indiscriminate. Elsewhere, trout, otters, turtles, herons, and dogs are known to have been caught in traps for beaver. A trapper reported finding only a duck bill in one of his traps.

Beaver provide habitat which an estimated 80%-85% of wildlife rely upon and 50% of threatened and endangered species depend upon. Beaver ponds create wetlands which are among the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world providing habitats for plants, insects, amphibians, fish, waterfowl, songbirds, and mammals. According to the BBC Earth’s Index, a beaver’s services to the landscape and wetlands management are worth $120,000 a year. Park Superintendent, Chad Edgar, a biologist by formal education, should be able to attest to their vital role. For those wanting to visit a place like Beaver Creek Park and escape to nature, wildlife are a magnet, a memorable reward.

As Beaver Creek Park has experienced over the many years, trapping is a Band-Aid. The beaver returns. Yet, what if they don’t? Will that be deemed a success or later shown to be travesty? It’s the habitat and available resources that dictate the beaver population and within their territorial behavior. One beaver family may utilize several lodges. Just as the aftermath of fires are deemed disturbingly destructive through the uneducated eye, summation of beaver overpopulation is often subjective and not based on science.

So why continue to trap and inhumanely kill any of the beaver and repeatedly when there are more successful, affordable, and viable solutions? Why not make a diligent effort and try them first, if for nothing else then for ethics and compassion? Have you ever watched a trapped beaver, know how long it takes a beaver to drown, or how body crushing conibear traps are not necessarily a quick kill?

A responsible, respectful, and effective plan for Beaver Creek Park is to get rid of the problems not the beavers. A win:win is best achieved by working with the beaver rather than against them.

You have such a beautiful and treasured county park. Do the Hill County commissioners and park board members really want the increasing reputation they opted instead to continue trapping beaver?

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K.C. York of Hamilton is president and founder of Trap Free Montana