Montana FWP Drafts Proposal For Relocating Beavers

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is considering implementing a program to transplant beavers into ecosystems across the state.

What is a beaver transplant program?

The idea is to relocate beavers in a similar manner to how FWP relocates bears.  The program would address issues beavers cause landowners by relocating them to areas where the beavers would be beneficial, rather than a nuisance.

In the right environment, the beavers would help make ecosystems that can better resist floods, droughts, and wildfires, all conditions Montana has to contend with on a regular basis.

So far, MT FWP has put together a draft proposal, which covers what they hope the program will accomplish and an initial draft of rules and procedures.  You can read it here and submit comments on it until October 27th.

Are beavers really that big of a problem in Montana?

I'll admit, when I think of conflicts between people and wildlife, what usually comes to mind first is a bear getting too used to humans or livestock predation by a wolf or mountain lion.

Next are people testing Darwin's law by trying to pet the fuzzy cows at Yellowstone.  You know, tourons.

Compared to those examples, beavers are quite a ways lower on my list of problematic wildlife.  Actually, if I'm being honest, beavers weren't on my list at all.  But reading through the draft, I can see why they would be considered a problem.

One example from the draft is a beaver building a dam that plugs up a culvert, preventing runoff from draining and flooding nearby land.  Another is potentially creating situations where a tree a beaver is gnawing on becomes a hazard to things around it.