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“Working with the Neighbors” Social Attitudes about Beaver in Coastal Oregon

“Working with the Neighbors” Social Attitudes about Beaver in Coastal Oregon. Beaver Workshop for Transportation Partners 4 December 2013 Karen Fleck Harding, KFH Consulting. “Landowner Incentives and Tolerances for Managing Beaver Impacts in Oregon” 2011.

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“Working with the Neighbors” Social Attitudes about Beaver in Coastal Oregon

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  1. “Working with the Neighbors”Social Attitudes about Beaver in Coastal Oregon Beaver Workshop for Transportation Partners 4 December 2013 Karen Fleck Harding, KFH Consulting

  2. “Landowner Incentives and Tolerances for Managing Beaver Impacts in Oregon” 2011 Mark D. Needham, Ph.D. and Anita T. Morzillo, Ph.D. Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, OSU Conducted for and in cooperation with: • Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife • Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board • Bonneville Power Administration

  3. Landowner Awareness 80% Beaver can create wetlands and ponds that are important for fish such as salmon. 66% Aware that beavers do not eat fish. 85% Beaver are a sign of a healthy environment. 41% Concerned about spread of diseases by beavers.

  4. Attitudes about Beaver The majority (74%) of landowners surveyed were interested in seeing or having beavers on their property or neighboring properties. 20% do not want beaver on their or neighboring property. 78% People should be willing to tolerate some conflicts with beaver.

  5. Beaver Damage 29% Damage to trees 19% Overflow of a pond, lake or stream 17% Culverts 11% Flooding roads or driveways 30% have experienced damage from beavers. Statewide, less than 37% of those experiencing damage have taken actions to deal with beavers.

  6. Most Acceptable Beaver Management • Educating landowners about how to coexist with beavers • Wrapping trees, installing control devices and fences or screens. • Capturing and relocating beavers. • Removing beaver dams or lodges, if the impact was severe (e.g., floods buildings). Increasing severity of impacts

  7. Least Acceptable Management lethal control (i.e., destroying beavers) & frightening beavers away No matter how severe the impacts.

  8. Outreach and Education Information about how to coexist with beavers and prevent beaver impacts. Information about the fisheries and ecosystem benefits of beavers.

  9. Collaboration with Landowners • Watershed Councils are a key partner. • Landowner Outreach • Stewardship

  10. Upper Five RiversSalmon and Beaver Habitat Improvement Plan Developed by: Members of the Upper Five Rivers Community With assistance from: Bio-Surveys & KFH Consulting Alsea & MidCoast Watershed Councils Siuslaw National Forest 2012

  11. Engage in understanding the problem… • Co-Limitations to Salmonid Production • The abundance of • Cool Summer pool surface area • Low velocity Winter Habitat • (Currently spawning gravel rich)

  12. … and the solutions How do we boost the abundance of this missing summer and winter habitat? Only with……. 1) Full spanning wood 2) Ponded habitat

  13. Data from the Back Yard • Beaver dams recorded on Aquatic Habitat Inventories 1992-97 • 71 dams recorded (Alder Cr 20) • Beaver dams recorded in 2007 • 3 dams recorded (Alder Cr 0)

  14. This local beaver pond is capable of rearing approx 4,000 Coho smolts during winter.

  15. Issues to Consider • Decrease in the forage species preferred by beaver. • Decrease in the abundance of structural building materials in some locations. • The decline of instream large woody debris that functions to support interactive channel forms and that provide a platform for dam construction. • Increase in the abundance of top predators. • Cyclical population decline facilitated by disease. • Pressure from trapping and recreational shooting.

  16. Site Specific Strategy

  17. Preventing and mitigating damage • Identify potential conflicts and concerns through community conversations and be prepared to address them. • Provide assistance with protecting trees from beaver browse with wire caging. • Replace undersized culverts and install culvert protection.

  18. Stewardship Assure maintenance of protective measures with local capacity and funding to be able to respond in a timely manner. • Volunteers – landowners, river stewards (i.e. Trout Unlimited) • Watershed Councils

  19. Understanding & Involvement LandownerParticipation and Support 21 landowners – 18 - okay with beaver – willing to help – support the plan. 2 - concerned about impacts to trees 1 - have enough beaver on their place

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