By Erin Smith
Bladen County residents in the East Arcadia area have been to the Bladen County Board of Commissioners meetings recently complaining of damage and flooding caused by beavers. Bladen County officials met on Thursday morning with officials from the Beaver Management Program, Natural Resources Commission, Bladen County Planning Office, Bladen County Office of Environmental Health, and Bladen County Cooperative Extension.
Dean Morris with the Bladen County Soil and Water Conservation District Office, led the meeting. He stated there are beaver problems all over the county. Morris explained that Bladen County currently participates in a Beaver Management Program or BMAP.
Gerald Adams, who is with the BMAP program, said the program has existed since the 1950s. He explained that it began with four counties and has grown to include 43 to 48 counties today.
“Began with prolific beaver problems affecting DOT (the Department of Transportation) and landowners,” said Adams.
As a result, the Beaver Management Assistant Advisory Board was formed. Bladen County is one of original counties and still participates today. Each county pays a cost of $4,000 each to participate in the BMAP program. Adams added that $4,000 is not enough to hire one person per county to work on beaver population control.
Adams said the amount that can be accomplished through BMAP is limited by the amount of manpower available. He also said priority is given to the Department of Transportation when they report issues with beavers due to safety reasons.
“The way around it is if county is willing to pay for a full-time person. Robeson and Duplin counties already do this,” said Adams.
“How much money does the state put into this?” asked Bladen County Commissioner Chairman Charles Ray Peterson.
“It’s a cooperative fund,” said Adams. He explained that DOT pays a portion, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission pays a portion, and each county pays the $4,000 fee.
Bladen County Commissioner Arthur Bullock asked, “Did I hear you say some
Counties pay for a full-time person?”
Adams stated some counties do pay to have a full-time person and the cost is $75,000. He added the county pays two-thirds of that along with their initial $4,000 fee to participate in the program.
Dan Ward, a Bladen County farmer, and his father Wilbur Ward, were both present for the discussion. Dan Ward asked about a beaver bounty program that Columbus County has utilized.
Adams said, “We had to divorce ourselves from the bounty program.”
Adams explained the program was cumbersome and his BMAP trappers were having to go behind the bounty trappers to ensure they had removed the beavers and the dams were destroyed. He explained that if a trapper didn’t get all of the beavers out of a location, it did no good to destroy the dam as the surviving beavers will quickly rebuild.
Dan Ward stated his family has utilized the BMAP program with relative success.
Adams was asked about costs to landowners. He explained landowners pay a cost share fee but added there is no charge for a general assessment or follow up.
Chairman Peterson asked Adams for a recommendation for the County. Adams suggested reviewing how many calls the county is receiving from landowners. Adams added if there is a sufficient demand, the county may consider looking into a cooperative agreement to pay for a full-time person to manage the beaver population.
Morris asked how many visits per year are covered in the BMAP membership. Adams said it varies depending on the number of projects.
Morris asked Adams if the BMAP program gets to a point in the fiscal year where they cannot meet the obligations. Adams said some counties meet their quota quickly while others don’t.
John Wilkinson, a private trapper from Pennsylvania who is in Bladen County this week, attended the meeting. He told those in the meeting that flooding the year has pushed the beavers further upstream than their normal habitat.
Kory Hair with Bladen County Environmental Health, said, “A year like this year is not a normal year. The flooding has pushed them out of their normal territory and they are looking for homes.”
Wilkinson said he has been trapping beavers in Bladen County for about 30 years and during that time period he estimated he has trapped 30,000 beavers. He explained that he uses various types of traps to kill and remove the beavers.
When asked about his compensation, Wilkinson said he is paid $600 by the county and is allowed to keep the beavers he traps. He added that beaver pelts do not bring much income. Wilkinson said the fur market, though small, now is in Russia and Europe.
Wilkinson was asked what type of information he needs when he comes to the county to be able to meet the needs of landowners. He said he needs written permission from the landowners, a topographical map or some other way to locate the beavers. Wilkinson added that, if the landowners can clear a path to the beaver dams or lodges, it can be of great assistance. He explained that trappers often haul a large amount of equipment with them to the dam including traps and the equipment to set the traps.
Morris asked if Wilkinson removed the dams. He replied not anymore. He said prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks the explosives needed to remove the dams were easily obtained. Now the laws are very restrictive and you must have a specialized license.
He also explained that when he and his assistants are in Bladen County, the whole county is trapped. Wilkinson said he and his brother, Jason, work in a cloverleaf pattern through the county, setting traps and removing beavers.
“We can only do so much,” said Wilkinson.
Bladen County Manager Greg Martin asked, “Who has the data?”
Bladen County Cooperative Extension Director Becky Spearman said a lot of farmers call the trappers directly.
“About 15 years ago it was a lot of calls. Now its just maybe three or four,” said Spearman.
Hair added, “I think a lot of people are doing it themselves.”
It was also noted during the discussion that some landowners actually want the beavers in order to maintain duck ponds.
Adams argued there is an item called a Clemson Pond Leveler that can assist landowners with the pond levels for their duck ponds. He added the county still has to have beaver control measures.
Adams stated, when the BMAP program began, it was to teach the landowners how to trap the beavers themselves.
“We thought it would have a large response. There wasn’t,” said Adams.
He explained most landowners simply want the BMAP officials to take care of the beaver problem for them.
Wilbur Ward said, “What we find as landowners is beavers are a 12 month problem. We are tied up nine months trying to produce a crop. That is why we want a service.”
E. W. Bowen asked for an explanation how the beavers were brought to North Carolina. Adams said beavers were introduced in 1930 through the North Carolina Conservation Service.
Adams explained that at one point, beavers were a native species to North Carolina but they were smaller than the species present today. The beavers that are prevalent in North Carolina today were originally imported from Wisconsin, according to Adams.
Adams said there are some benefits to beavers. He said they can assist with such issues as erosion control. He also said in the 1930s that recreational fur trapping was one of reasons cited for reintroducing beavers.
Adams said, when beavers were brought to the Sandhills area in 1930s, there were enough private trappers to keep the population under control. As fur prices crashed, and animal rights activists became more prevalent, trappers began to leave the profession.
Adams estimated there are 300,000 beavers in North Carolina.
He also stated that landowners are allowed to shoot beavers that are a nuisance on their own property.
After further discussion no decision was made.
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