Caught between a rock and a rapidly proliferating population of saw-toothed rodents, the District of Squamish (DOS) is facing a decision to deep six a number of "nuisance" beavers.
From the West Coast to the Prairies, and all the way to P.E.I., beaver colonies are under siege. In fact, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities has made it clear the only place where the fur-bearing icon is welcome is on the back of a Canadian nickel. How quickly the legendary "Castor canadensis" has become persona non grata.
At one time in our illustrious history, the beaver was nearly trapped into extinction. That was long before environmental activists asserted their dedication to protecting the flora and fauna of the good green Earth.
With the Squamish beaver population about to be subjected to a second cull in two years, has anybody heard from the high-minded urban campers who delayed the Eagleridge Bluffs section of the Sea to Sky Highway upgrade because the red-legged frog and spotted owl's habitat were about to be compromised?
Where is that ever-expanding legion of concerned environmentalists who put the kibosh on Garibaldi at Squamish because bear, deer, fish or (fill in the blank) habitats would soon be under siege by a maniacal resort developer?
According to our Official Community Plan, the district "will promote a comprehensive network of riparian and wildlife corridors to help ensure the health and viability of aquatic and terrestrial species." So how do killer conibear traps fit into this viability picture?
Biologist Oliver Busby of EBB Environmental Consulting tells us the Squamish beaver colony is creating safety hazards - they plug infrastructure which in turn creates flooding, they gnaw into the trunks of trees and often fell trees on roadways, causing accidents. Some of these assertions may be true, but let's be realistic. How many accidents have been caused lately by beaver-felled trees?
Even if we buy into the beaver-as-nuisance proposition, it doesn't necessarily follow that they should be dispatched via the deadly trapping route, other than as a convenient expedient.
In his presentation to council, Busby revealed the Province only has a few openings for beaver relocation and Victoria will either authorize the transfer or announce that the quota has already been met. "It's first come, first served," he said.
But, according to some observers, there appears to be more leeway here. The City of Surrey, a community where a record 40 beavers were killed in 2007, is planning to relocate beavers under a new program. Surrey drainage manager Carrie Baron tells us the provincial rules have recently changed to allow beavers to go to new homes.
"If we can present suitable habitats to provincial officials, they will let us relocate... they're receptive if we come up with creative ideas," she said.
Squamish has an opportunity to get creative and solve a challenging wildlife issue in the most humane way possible. Surely the DOS can convince the provincial government that somewhere in that vast hinterland of rivers and lakes surrounding the Shining Valley, space for a colony of displaced beavers can be found.
