http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/158205
Oshawa approves killing more Goodman Creek beavers
OSHAWA -- Residents living in the Goodman Creek area are once again fighting to save neighbourhood beavers from a grisly fate.
The City of Oshawa recently gave the green light for a trapper to use "lethal trapping" methods to remove beavers from a storm water management pond at the creek, saying their dam is creating unmanageable water levels that could lead to flooding.
"It's not something we enjoy doing, but it's something we must do to protect people's property," said Stan Bertoia, the City's commissioner of community services.
Resident Joyce Schnegg raised the alarm back in the fall when she first spotted a trapper in the pond.
In November, City officials told the public six beavers had been relocated, but later confirmed they were killed.
Ms. Schnegg was horrified to learn any remaining beavers will meet the same fate.
"People are in an uproar after seeing the traps being set again," she said. "There is no reason for this to happen when there are other solutions. A beaver baffle is a simple solution and the beavers don't have to die."
Mr. Bertoia said City staff made the decision based on advice from two consulting firms.
In a June 22 memo to the City, Beacon Environmental said there are three options for beaver management: using a "beaver baffle" -- a device that regulates water levels in the pond while allowing beavers to remain -- removing the beaver dam, or leaving the status quo.
In its report, engineering firm Greck and Associates recommends removing the dam, saying it could "increase peak storm flows, increase downstream flood elevations and reduce storage and discharge capacities."
A subsequent City report makes no mention of the beaver baffle, instead laying out three possibilities for removing the dam: live trapping and releasing the beavers, lethal trapping or repeatedly breaking apart the dam until the beavers get frustrated and leave.
Beacon Environmental ecologist Brian Henshaw says lethal trapping is the most humane route if the City is set on removal.
"We don't make that recommendation lightly," he said. "But it's not fair to move an animal to a place it doesn't know, where it can't set up a lodge and get a food store in place before November. That could result in death by starvation."
Neighbourhood resident Oscar VanDerHeyden said nothing is more humane than a beaver baffle, and can't understand why the City didn't seem to give that option much consideration.
"It seems like they want to do the easy thing, just kill them and get it done," he said. "These are living things just minding their own business. It's not right to kill them when there are other ways."
Neighbourhood residents say concerned animal lovers have been wading into the creek in an effort to remove the traps.
The issue didn't garner any debate at council's June 28 meeting. While the staff report was on the agenda, no members of council made any comments on the item and it passed unanimously.
"It's very regrettable that it had to come to this," said Mayor John Gray, who acknowledged how upsetting the issue can be. "But to ignore the dams in the creek can only cause problems later on, like flooding of homes and damage to personal property. Our staff have been advised that this is the best method to deal with the beavers, so that's what we're doing."
The beaver removal initiative is expected to cost $5,000.
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