Posted on 11/06/2007 4:34:22 PM PST by NormsRevenge
The state has agreed to issue a relocation permit for a family of beavers in Martinez, amid an outcry from children and nature lovers over a city conclusion that the creatures should be killed and their dam removed to prevent downtown flooding.
The beavers will be trapped by the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, which will evaluate their health, and they will be released later in an area approved by the state, said Martinez Mayor Rob Schroder and California Department of Fish and Game spokesman Steve Martarano.
"After a quick survey, I've gotten 150 e-mails, 100 percent of them say don't kill the beavers," said Schroder, who approached the state Monday through labor leader Jim Kellogg, who is a member of the Fish and Game Commission.
"There was great interest in this and they stepped up and worked out a solution with us," Martarano said. "We don't normally move problem wildlife," he said, and decisions about wildlife problems are made on a case-by-case basis.
Interest in the beavers reached a crescendo today, hours before a candlelight vigil at Alhambra Creek, where the two adults and three or four offspring have erected an approximately 5-foot dam.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Why didn’t they elect to move the town?
more from KTVU
Condemned Martinez Beavers Get A Reprieve
http://www.ktvu.com/news/14505106/detail.html
That’s what they get for being eager beavers.
MARTINEZ BEAVERS
For a few seconds there I thought we were going to be reading about illegal immigrant beavers.
FRom the KTVU piece..
In 2002, the Alhambra Creek Channel Improvement Project was completed, funded by the city of Martinez and downtown property owners. One goal of the three-part project was to widen the creek and create marshland in order to reduce the potential for flooding.
A recent hydrologic study found that most of the benefit of the flood improvements have been or will be negated by the dam and its possible growth, according to the report.
Ross said he helped create the project and one of its purposes was to bring wildlife back to downtown Martinez. And it’s worked only too well. In addition to the beavers, Ross said otters, fish and birds are commonly seen in the creek.
It looks like we're moving again.. No thanks to you.
The beaver dam is on a creek that runs right through downtown Martinez, which is already low-lying enough that it floods when the Sacramento river runs high. Uptream of the beaver dam, the water level is less than six feet below city street level, and that would change in a real hurry during any substantive downpour.
Here’s the location on Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.017772,-122.138051&spn=0.001959,0.002162&t=h&z=19&om=1
The dam was built after this shot was taken, but it spans the section of creek that runs along Castro St. between Escobar and Marina Vista. The actual dam is an amazing bit of work; I’ve been down and looked it over. If you look at the Google Map image, the dam is located about where that clump of trees stands on the northeast shore of the creek.
If you live within driving distance, swing by and give it a look before they move the little chislers out.
They are claiming that a beaver dam doesn’t create wetlands?
I’ve seen a couple tv news reports on it showing the dam and area.. it’s about maybe 50 miles north of here... if we got rain like a few years ago, it likely would flood that area again, .. just hope we don’t get a prolonged dry spell now and the beavers get sent up the creek for nothing.. but the city leaders aren’t gonna take a gamble on that happening.
Once you’ve got beaver, uless you kill all of them and those within a 50 mile radius, they will be back. Beavers relocated in Pennsylvania and released 600 miles away took less than a month to make the trip a round one.
SAVE THE BEAVER!
God bless beaver.
Looks like the beavers may be headed to a Delta home..
There is a candlelight vigil for the beavers tonight at the dam.
Martinez Beavers at YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=martinez+beavers&search=Search
Save the town! Eat a beaver.
I say we keep all the cute illegal beavers and deport the rest.
lol.. alright.
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