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Sturgeon County puts bounty on beavers

$20 per tail meant to control flooding
1507 CountyBriefs-lb
WANTED: DEAD — Sturgeon County has introduced a $20 bounty on problem beavers as part of an effort to control floods. Beavers build dams that create wetlands and reduce erosion but can also flood fields and roads. LUDO BOGAERT/Photo

Sturgeon County plans to pay residents to kill problem beavers in order to try and stop floods on private land.

County council voted unanimously in favour of its new beaver control incentive policy at a meeting July 14.

Sturgeon County offers a free contractor who can help residents deal with beavers causing flooding on their land.

Record rains have made floods a major issue this year, said county chief operating officer Scott MacDougall. The county needed to do everything it could to facilitate water movement to protect public and private infrastructure.

“Unfortunately, beavers typically construct structures (dams) that do the opposite of facilitate water management,” MacDougall said, adding that they also helped control erosion and create wetlands.

MacDougall recommended that the county implement an incentive program similar to that used in Lac Ste. Anne County and the MD of Bonnyville to encourage residents to trap problem beavers.

Under it, anyone who has a problem beaver on their land would tell Agriculture Services about it and the property affected and either destroy the beaver or call in an authorized expert to do so. They could then sign an affidavit that the beaver was flooding private land and then destroyed in Sturgeon County in a matter that followed all laws in order to receive a $20 per tail bounty, provided the tail was longer than 7.62 cm.

MacDougall said the bounty fund was capped at $10,000 this year (or 500 beavers) and could be adjusted up or down as needed. The county had trapped 114 beavers so far this year, compared to 316 last year and an average of 250 a year.

MacDougall said the county would also work with landowners who preferred to live-trap and relocate beavers.

Lac Ste. Anne offers a $40 per-tail bounty on beavers on private property and regularly traps beavers, the county’s website reports. It has also started using pond levelers to address flooding without removing beavers.

Sturgeon residents with beaver problems should call 780-939-8349.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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