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“Have any discussions been started regarding the possibility of a pilot study to test the restoration of beavers in the Milwaukee watershed?”

Yes, we are attempting to implement the study done on the Milwaukee River Watershed as a pilot study that could be utilized across other watersheds. We have had multiple conversations with and presented many time to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), who have been limited in providing resources or support to implement the project. Bob recently met with the Natural Resources Board in Wisconsin, which we still have not received follow-up on. To conduct the study, we would need to create a no-trapping zone for semi-aquatic mammals to ensure the safety of the beavers and that they are not trapped out. There are also strict regulations on relocation for beavers in Wisconsin, which is another permitting process we are attempting to navigate. If you want to help advocate for the creation of a no-trapping zone of semi-aquatic mammals and live in the Milwaukee River Watershed area, please reach out to your local legislation or WDNR offices!

“Would you expect the same pattern vis-a-vis historical extirpation 100 years prior to ‘settlement’ on the west coast? Historic beaver accounts for the California coast (in particular) are pretty sketchy.”

I am unsure what pattern you are referring to, however given how much humans have altered the landscape it is difficult to determine sometimes what natal ecosystems look like. There are concerns of having ecological amnesia to what the landscape looked like prior to heavy alteration which can make it more difficult to engage in conservation efforts. While introduction of beavers back to the landscape may not emulate exactly as they were prior to heavy human intervention, their benefits of water storage, improvements to water quality, and increases of biodiversity will still be similar if introduced and protected properly. Over long periods of time, beavers have the potential to restore landscapes back to their natal systems. They are climate champions and will be some of our greatest allies in building climate resilience!

“How does this work synch up with rewilding dammed rivers? Are beavers being used in conjunction with taking dams down?”

Beavers support river systems through promoting their natal streams and geomorphology patterns. For example, beavers help rewild areas that have disconnected floodplains through the canals they dig between streams. Further, the dams they build act as a speed bump to slow the flow of water down and spread it out across these newly reconnected floodplains. The slowing of water helps recharge the water table by allowing time for it to seep downward rather than move quickly down the stream. In these beaver meadows and wetlands, breeding grounds for waterfowl along with preferred habitat for fish, amphibians, and reptiles is created which helps bolster biodiversity levels. We do not know of any examples where beavers are being used when taking down manmade dams, but the benefits of beavers would depend on the environment they are being introduced to. When introducing a beaver, you want to ensure there is plenty of food source (aspen/willow) and that there is an ideal stream depth that allows for protection, especially in the winter. When you reintroduce beavers, it is not always certain that they will settle in the spot you reintroduce them to. Beavers have a natural sense of where they need to restore systems and will sometimes move away towards better habitat. However, if the conditions were ideal for beaver, they could definitely help rewild dammed rivers!

“Around nuclear power plants, there is a lot of protected wildlife land.  Perhaps partner with DOE for conservation and animal relocation (rather than animal killing)?”

Absolutely! There are a lot of potential partners through different departments that are worthwhile pursing. For example, we have been working with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District to promote green infrastructure through beavers for stormwater storage. One big thing to note is that beaver relocation in many states is difficult to do because of strict policies and permitting processes. Making relocation more streamlined for efforts to happen is important to work on.

“I live in Northern California – would re-establishing beaver ponds in some of the fire-prone areas help mitigate forest fires?”

Yes! Beavers are wonderful firefighters! Because of the ponding system they create and their reconnection of the floodplain, they are able to help retain water on the land which combats fast-spreading fires. When the forest is too dry, especially with high levels of droughts, it is much easier for the fires to spread quickly and burn what is in its path. However, when beavers slow down water and retain it on the landscape for vegetation and other species to utilize, it acts as a wildlife refuge during wildfire events. For example, in Idaho after a fire, there was a series of beaver ponds that helped maintain a stretch of landscape when its surrounding counterparts were completely burned.

Beaver-dammed wetland in Baugh Creek, Idaho, is a so-called “emerald refuge” that can serve as a firebreak and refuge for other species during wildfires.​

“I really want to know how we can correct the DNR’s mismanagement on a policy level.”

Through advocacy work! There are some things that we are learning that need to be done through legislation. It is also important to educate your community on the importance of conservation work, or in this case, the benefits of beaver, as the local community can have a huge influence both on DNR work and legislation. For example, in Wisconsin, there is a belief that beavers harm trout. Considering we have a high level of trout fishers, if that is a common perception, even though science has disproved that belief, it will perpetuate the current policies that are in place. Through advocating to your local community members, DNR, and legislation, we can help change the narrative and start more meaningful conversations toward correcting mismanagement. It is important as well to take a holistic approach and include the voices of a variety of stakeholders such as native communities, landowners, hunters/trappers, and environmental organizations (just to name a few). If you are unable to do advocacy work yourself, please consider donating to support organizations who dedicate their life work to correcting mismanagement!

“Can you provide national resources for states that do not believe beavers are helpful in any way? As in non-lethal resources, education, etc.? “

The Beaver Institute is one of the best resources for non-lethal methods and mitigation. Through their organization, they run a Beaver Core training which teaches how to properly do non-lethal management as well. They also have many educational resources and papers linked on their website. Similarly, the Methow Beaver Project is a landscape-size example of beaver relocation to a valley to help rewild and restore the structures in that environment. They have been incredibly successful in their work and serve as a strong example of where other states can head in terms of promoting and condition beaver relocation. Finally, we are always happy to answer any questions or provide specific resources depending on the roadblocks you run into!

“Any hope for current our current WI DNR and WCC that don’t seem to want to save WI wildlife?”

There is always hope! While things may look a little rough and the road to correcting mismanagement may be rocky at points, we need to keep advocating and presenting current and best science to help implement changes. Vote for legislatures who are pro-conservation efforts and remind them that’s what they were voted into office for! Reach out to your local WDNR offices and do the same. The more involved the public is in the process, the more they will remember that people are watching their actions and will hold them accountable to protecting our ecosystems. And if you cannot engage in advocacy work yourself, please consider donating to organizations who work tirelessly to do so!

“Can you refer us in central California to anyone doing beaver restoration in our Santa Cruz area by chance?”

It seems like the Watershed Management Group is doing some work on that!

“Are you aware of any beaver restoration projects happening in urban areas?”

Not at the current moment. Beavers tend to come in a lot of conflict with humans, so often times it is better for them to be reintroduced in areas that are away from urban communities (at least until the public is educated on their benefits and more coexistence measures can be implemented). For example, within the Milwaukee River Watershed project, our proposed sites are about 30-40 miles away from nearby communities to allow beavers to spread out and create expansive beaver meadows. We hope that in the future humans can coexist more with beavers and that urban restoration projects can be possible!

“What About FEMA’s No-Rise Standards?”

FEMA is written to stop altering floodplains and filling in wetlands. As far as we know, FEMA has not considered how beavers affect hydrology and how they change the system. This is an example of an agency problem that is endemic across a lot of agencies. Since beavers are natural eco-engineers, they would not fall under that standard as it is not a manmade structure. However, there have been cases for State policy that when you introduce things like pond levelers, which is a non-lethal mitigation tool to reduce beaver flooding, there are often additional provisions and analysis that needs to be done to ensure that there is “no-rise” happening.

“Is the Milwaukee area open to introducing beavers to certain wetland areas?”

The WDNR states that they are open to it, but there are concerns of if the beavers would be protected or immediately trapped out. It takes time for beavers to repopulate, as kits typically don’t start mating until they are 2-3 years old and adult beavers have an average litter size of 4 in which all may not survive. The WDNR has been little help in creating this no-trapping zone to support their reintroduction. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District is a proponent to this work, however, through their GreenSeams program where they are hoping to promote stronger green infrastructure to support stormwater storage as high flood events become more frequent with climate change on the rise. When we introduce beavers back to the landscape, we want to ensure their safety and protection so the pilot project can be properly done.

“Are Road Commissions big offenders in beaver killing?”

Often county highways hire beaver trappers or Wildlife Services in Wisconsin (a federal group under the United States Department of Agriculture) to kill beavers who dam up culverts or flood roads. Sorting through public records and contracts, there are a decent number of counties that engage in this. While they are not the only offender, because of the emergency situation they claim when beavers dam an area, they do not attempt any non-lethal mitigation and call trappers immediately to remove beaver from the area.

“Could Beavers be used to help with the drought situations in the western USA?”

Yes! When beavers are allowed to exist undisturbed and unexploited, they restructure many of the first and second order streams and often build a string of ponds. These ponds function in a series as a simplified combination of stormwater detention ponds and sewerage treatment plants. Each beaver dam creates a ponded wetland which stores and slows down water that helps reduces flooding. These ponds work like speeds bumps that help lower peak flows during high water events. Importantly, the ponded water vastly increases the volume of the hyporheic zone in rivers that provide numerous ecological benefits. The hyporheic zone is the area of sediment and porous space under a stream bed where there is a mixing of groundwater and surface water. This unseen zone is largely underappreciated for its water quality importance. This region is critical to restoring the chemical stability by filtering pollutants (especially nitrates) out of the stream for cleaner water. As the hyporheic zone cleans water through filtration, it also recharges groundwater which is vital to combating persistent droughts situations we are seeing in Western USA.

Illustration of the hyporheic zone

“Have there been efforts to work with tribal nations to reintroduce beaver populations?”

Yes! We are currently in conversation with the Ojibwe tribes and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) to ensure we are respecting their right to the landscape and resources. For example, the Voigt legal Decision of 1983 upheld Ojibwe Tribal usufructuary rights within the ceded territory. Under the Voigt Decision, the Ojibwe are entitled to take 50% of the permissible harvest and beaver, which are listed as one of the species within the court records. For WDNR to be trapping on these ceded territories, the beaver population must be maintained at 50% of its carrying capacity. Currently, this is not being upheld and we are working with tribal communities to ensure that these rights are respected. Further, tribal nations have also been integral in reintroducing beavers into communities across the county. Here are a few examples!

1. Oregon tribes reintroduce beavers to the Beaver State, but hurdles remain
2. An indigenous tribe in Washington is strategically placing beavers around to help salmon

“Do you have experience or references for dry, steep gradient, highly incised streams? Fountain Creek in the foothills east of Colorado Springs is the site of a smallish project by Keystone Ecosystems Initiative. Wild Connections, my organization, is providing volunteer crews for ground truthing LIDAR sites and constructing BDAs.”

Joe Wheaton at the University of Utah has published many booklets on how to do that in that type of system. When you are taking about steep gradient, there are a few things that you have to take into account depending on the situation so be sure to look out for that. Dr. Wheaton’s books would explain that well. Suzanne Fouty is another researcher who has done many studies that would be good to look into. Both of their works would be great references.

“Are certain animals (for example, turtles) known to get stuck in the trapezoidal culvert protective fences?”

There are some instances where turtles or other animals can get stuck in fencing, but that mainly happens when they are either not properly installed or not maintained. There are also many mitigation strategies that are being developed and tested to avoid that! To note, turtles and other animals, especially river otters, are much more likely to get caught in a body-gripping trap, which is most commonly used to lethally trap beaver. This is because as beaver meadows increase biodiversity, there are more species in the area. Body-gripping traps are indiscriminate and will trap anything that comes through it (in some cases, even dogs). Below is a list of bycatch that were “accidentally” trapped from lethal body-gripping traps in Wisconsin just by the WDNR’s hired Wildlife Services from 2013-2021.

Bob Boucher serves as founding President of the Superior Bio-Conservancy. Bob lives in Wisconsin but spends time at a family cabin situated between old growth forests and Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. His interest include protecting and restoring keystone species in ecosystems and bioregional landscape linkages for protection on a global scale. He has an MS in Water Resource Management for the UW Madison with an emphasis in ecosystem management of watersheds. He became a “Beaver Believer” when he realized the role this keystone species plays in the health of our river’s hydrology and their significance to biodiversity. He serves as an advisor to the Beaver Institute. He founded Milwaukee Riverkeeper and served as Executive Director of Wisconsin’s oldest land trust (The Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation).

Hannah Malicky holds a B.A. from Grinnell College with a degree in Environmental Justice and concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. She currently is working to rebuild human-ecosystem relationships through methods of coexistence between society and the natural world.