Wa state is at t again! The plan is to eliminate nuisance beaver trapping with a trap and relocate after all possible mean have been exhausted. her is the bill if you can help with commenting on it thru wa state. Beaver Relocation Permits - CR-102.

Didn't you know that beaver are a keystone species that if left alone will help climate change, prevent wildfires, provide habitat for coho/ endangered frogs, and bring peace to the middle east?

This will not eliminate nuisance beaver trapping. There will be a need for at most a 100 beaver. Less than 5% of nuisance beaver will go into this program. All others will be handled the old-fashioned way.
I was in talks with WDFW about this over the last year. Shawn from WDFW came to the Rendezvous and gave a talk on it. WSTA is supporting this. While we don't see much benefit to the relocations it is something that looks good publicity wise. DFW is going to encourage the relocation organizations to work with WCO trappers and pay them for supplying beaver. I think for most people it will have no effect and a few may see a few dollars in extra income.
The way the F&W Commission is stacked it is going to pass and if we are on the right side of this it helps our image with the Commission and possibly gets some antis to forgo testifying against us on other things. I already have made some headway with the Methow Beaver Project, and I believe they will not support trapping but won't testify against us either. Last three-year package they had a bunch of people testifying against trapping. Commissioner Rowland was with the Methow Beaver Project before she was appointed to the Commission so in a way no comments from them is a roundabout way to keep her from being too active against trapping.

There is no way to trust them to not testify against trapping, they take it as a win and keep pushing for more!

You trappers are finished in WA. This will be a Victory for them so they will push for the elimination of trapping. What are you afraid of if they testify against what? Trapping in general? Ask Alaska if beavers are good for the environment. I guess an overpopulated area that it totally devoided of trees and is underwater won't allow anything to burn. Show them the satellite photos and ask them if that's what they want WA state to look like.

Humptulip's (WSTA) approach to working out solutions with the various parties is what tends to work the best. We, as trappers, don't have enough numbers or clout to extract favorable outcomes on our own merits. Got to work with people sometimes and hope for the best.

I dont see how this is a bad deal. Trapper gets paid to trap nuisance beaver. Trapper gets paid to relocate beaver. If habitat can support relocated beaver, then trapper will get paid again to trap beavers when they spill over onto neighboring properties. In the words of joe dirt, "you win twice brother!"

Captain Smith, where would you like these deck chairs moved to?

The RCW that allowed the relocation of beaver by private parties has been around for a long time. This WAC just sets some parameters on how they go about these relocations. About 2/3rds of the beaver trapped in WA are complaint beaver. This program will take less than 5% of those complaint beaver and it encourages the relocators to work with WCOs and pay them for their delivery of complaint beaver which is presently illegal. Right now, you cannot charge to deliver a beaver to a relocator. These relocators will be forced to work with trappers and I hope depend on trappers. This will not affect fur trapping except to the extent that some people who didn't like trappers will get to know and even work with trappers. If they decide to testify against us on other issues we have not lost anything as they would have anyway. I don't see a downside to this WAC.
On the other hand, we have a 6 to 3 split in the F&W Commission with the 6 voting against hunters and trappers. In a straight up battle we lose so I am trying to link continued trapping with something the other side wants. There was a proposal to put a bag limit on beaver and that is dead with the agreement of the main beaver advocacy group in the State.

Ah,yes. Pick up a blood and drop him off with the crips. Nothing could possibly go wrong with relocating beavers. It's not like they're territorial or anything.

No, it's Washington's feed the cougars and bears program.

don't forget about the poor wolves -- you are discriminating, and being from eugene I thought you would know better.

I did know that and more

No, it's Washington's feed the cougars and bears program.[/quote]
don't forget about the poor wolves -- you are discriminating, and being from eugene I thought you would know better. [/quote]
I'm not from Eugene. How dare you! Junction City.

So by WSTA agreeing with this program we give them an inch and hope they don't take a mile? Might as well throw in he towel and completely surrender.

The program has been around for years in the Methow Valley.
They were using the hatchery in Winthrop.

In the past I have lost work because of a state sponsored relocation.
WDFW biologist would encourage the use of this specific group.
Now it is possible to profit from them and potentially slow their gain of control.

All WDFW is doing, if i read it right, is put rules in place for the handling of the animal.

here is the part that worries me....Identify which beavers are candidates for relocation, which must be conflict-causing and have exhausted all methods of coexistence.. So now if this passes they can write what ever rule they want for what methods must be used to co-exist. What if they want you to string a half mile of electric fence as a deterrent, I help a friend who passed wife out every 1 to 2 years trap beaver off the yakima river that get into her culverts and cause her road to her property to flood. She would no way be able to afford at 82 years old and on only Social Security to fence her area.

Upon further thought just let me know where you are relocating my bobcat bait to.This program could have some benefits, known beaver locations, known animal density, easier to get needed bait in just a couple of days instead of a week in and out in 2 days with enough bait for the season.

I don't see the rules for relocation affecting the special trap permitting. (the new "department" has done that on their own)