Clark Fork Coalition, in partnership with National Wildlife Federation and Defenders of Wildlife, launched a pilot project in 2019 to address beaver conflicts using nonlethal resolution methods. Our program goals include: building greater tolerance for beavers on our landscape, reducing beaver conflicts, and increasing awareness through outreach and education.
Beavers provide many important ecological services including:
- increased water storage
- habitat diversity and complexity
- sediment retention
- nutrient cycling
- contaminant filtration
- fisheries habitat enhancement
- increased groundwater recharge
While the benefits of beavers are numerous, some behaviors such as damming and tree cutting pose problems in certain areas. We are selecting demonstration sites to construct devices designed to mitigate negative effects of beavers. Culvert fencing devices prevent beavers from plugging culverts, and pond leveler or pipe devices lower water levels upstream of dams to prevent flooding. Tree fencing protects trunks from cutting, and mature trees as well as groups of saplings may be protected using this method.
Over 80% of Montana’s wildlife species rely on beaver-created wetlands for survival!
Contact us for more information about our Beaver Conflict Resolution Program: elissa@clarkfork.org
Additional beaver resources:
Informative blogs from The National Wildlife Federation:
Beavers, Trout, and a Changing Climate
Interning in Conflict Resolution: How do we co-exist with our wildlife neighbors
MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks
http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/beavers/default.html
Beavers Northwest
http://www.beaversnw.org/home.html
Beaver Institute
https://www.beaverinstitute.org/management/overview/
Beaver State Wildlife Solutions