Legislative change makes beaver dam control easier

New beaver control provisions were enacted by the Minnesota Legislature this past session but the final bill provided no money to guarantee alleviating the financial burden on local governments for handling nuisance beavers.

Still, it was a step in the right direction, said Rep. Mike Sundin (District 11A), who authored the initial bill with input from Wayne Thom, a member of the Minnesota Trappers Association.

The largest member of the rodent family, the beaver is an active woodcutter and dam builder. But when beaver populations get too high, they cause problems by cutting down valuable trees and causing the flooding roads and property with their dams.

Trying to control beavers and their activities is expensive.

According to Carlton County Land Commissioner Greg Bernu, Carlton and Aitkin counties have spent tens of thousands of dollars to keep roads open and large tracts of valuable timberland from being flooded out. Several trappers in the region keep busy hiring out to the local governments.

Meanwhile, the price of a beaver pelt continues to range at record lows, reducing the incentive to trap them for the fur trade.

Bernu sat in on a meeting with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials, a representative from the County Highway Engineers Association and a representative from the State Trappers Association. He said discussions were intense.

“It was quite evident the DNR would not dedicate money for beaver control and compensation for damage,” Bernu said. “Finally, the powers that be decided to give the local governments the authority to handle nuisance beavers and remove beaver dams. The trappers could retain the beaver carcasses.”

Beavers are protected animals under Minnesota game and fish laws, meaning people need a license or permit to trap them. If a beaver causes damage to property, a landowner, manager or occupant could kill a beaver on their land. Under previous state law, they did not need a license or permit as long as they contacted a DNR conservation officer within 24 hours of the taking.

Now the local unit of government must issue tags to those hired to harvest the nuisance beavers and place them on the traps being used so that conservation officers can tell that the site was authorized by a governmental unit.

“In a nutshell, this assists the game wardens,” said Bernu, explaining that they really only go after nuisance beavers when it affects roads. “This way the wardens will know a trap is authorized by the county. There should be two tags on a trap outside of season: the trapper’s tag and the local governmental unit’s tag.”

Sundin said the legislation gathered strong support, adding that Rep. Persell (DFL) and Senator Ingebrigtsen (R) co-authored the final bill.

“Local governments, our county governments, the Township Officers Association and the Trappers Association were strong supporters,” Sundin said. “Something had to be done to stop beaver damage to roads, private property, and timberlands. I am happy I could help.”

“In the bill I originally introduced I pushed for the DNR to treat beaver damage just like they treat damage done by wolves and elk,” he said. “The DNR says one of their jobs is to manage wildlife. The beaver nuisance has been out of control for some time. The damages should be paid by the DNR just like their policy with elk and wolves. This bill does not go far enough.”

Automba Township Supervisor Deane Rengo said their township has spent at least $2,500 a year trapping beavers the past four years.

“The local conservation officer has given us a permit each year and this effort has helped,” Rengo said. “Yet we see damage to our roadways every year. Let us see how this new legislation helps us.”

Not all the specific information and guidelines are out to local governments yet from the state of Minnesota.