Beavers are destroying trees within the Town’s park and pathway systems.
Mayor Terry Yemen has written to the Honorable Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks of the Alberta Provincial Government regarding the massive beaver problem, however the issue has not received an answer or response since November 18, 2015.
The Town has contacted Fish & Wildlife, however they do not have the resources to address the problem. As a result the Town has been trapping beavers to protect our treed areas.
The Mayor explained, “We are spending resources municipally on community enforcement and for hiring a contractor when it’s clearly a provincial matter. We have also asked MLA Rick Strankman to lobby on our behalf.”
“The Drumheller taxpayers are footing this bill when it is a provincial matter. They (the beavers) will literally eat themselves out of house and home. Across from the old hospital, the trees are almost all gone now. It used to be a significant tree stand.” said Yemen.
The Red Deer River Municipal Users Groups (RDRMUG) explained: “With the increase in the beaver population, their foraging within the Red Deer River Basin is causing severe damage to watershed’s riparian vegetation including the destruction of trees. Infrastructure, including culverts, water treatment plant in-takes, roads and access systems, along with parks and recreation structures are suffering severe damage from beaver activities. The dams cause flooding and can cause extensive damage and may have a definite effect of agriculture, river tributaries and wetlands within the basin.” The RDRMUG has also written to the Honorable Shannon Phillips, with copies also going to the Premier and MLA’s within the Red Deer River Basin.
