99? 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Now and again the flowage from the beaver dams 

 affects the land of some farmer or damages some enter- 

 prise, and as the beaver are protected animals under the 

 State laws, relief can be had only by destroying their 

 dams. This often gives only temporary relief, for the 

 beaver hasten to rebuild or repair the dams, and it is 

 really pathetic to see such monumental industry exercised 

 for naught, as the dams are again destroyed. 



The problem is to 

 protect the few scat- 

 tered individuals whose 

 business undertakings 

 are damaged by beaver 

 and at the same time to 

 preserve the few re- 

 maining colonies of this 

 highly interesting ani- 

 mal, which once ranged 

 the continent in large 

 numbers from coast to 

 coast. 



It is certainly dis- 

 couraging to a poor, 

 hard-working beaver to 

 have his rights as a 

 squatter disregarded. 

 The famous Husting 

 waterpower act, which 

 was said to have 

 stopped waterpower de- 

 velopment in Wiscon- 

 sin, failed to block the 

 development of beaver 

 dams, but now that the 

 State Conservation 

 Commission may insist 

 on fishways in beaver 

 dams and the State 

 Railroad Commission 

 is likely to require boat 

 hoists in new dams and 

 t o establish bench 

 marks to regulate the 

 water levels, it looks as 

 if the game wasn't go- 

 ing to be worth the 

 candle for the poor 

 beaver, to say nothing 

 about his difficulties in getting an indeterminate franchise. 



The State Conservation Commission of Wisconsin is 

 investigating the best methods of catching and transport- 

 ing beaver alive, with a view to removing them from 

 localities where they are damaging private property to 

 some selected area in the State. It is certain that the 

 majority of the people want the beaver colonies pre- 

 served, even if a few farms have to be purchased to pro- 

 tect the animals in their activities. 



In New York it was believed for a number of years 

 prior to 1904 that beaver had been exterminated. How- 

 ever, there were perhaps twenty left in the lake region 



BEAVER CANAL TO A CREEK 



Wherever the beaver cuts his timber he must first make a waterway by lake or 

 canal, and wherever he makes his waterway he is laying the foundation for level, 

 fertile valley and fine forest. It is found a large portion of the fertile meadows 

 and bottom lands east of the Mississippi are the result of his indefatigable 

 industry. 



south and west of St. Regis Mountain. In 1904 the 

 Legislature appropriated $500 for purchasing beaver to 

 restock the Adirondacks. The next spring six beaver 

 were secured from the Canadian exhibit at the Louisiana 

 Purchase Exposition and were released on Moose River 

 and Big Moose Lake. In 1906 fourteen more were pro- 

 cured from Yellowstone National Park. In all twenty- 

 one beaver were released by the State and several by pri- 

 vate citizens. In 1910 

 sixty families of beaver 

 were known to be scat- 

 tered through the Adi- 

 rondack region and 

 were breeding rapidly. 

 For the last three of 

 four years reports show 

 that the beaver are con- 

 tinuously increasing, 

 and some reports of 

 damage to private prop- 

 erty have been coming 

 in. In some instances 

 it was found necessary 

 to disturb the houses of 

 the beaver so as to 

 cause them to seek new 

 quarters. In one case 

 140 rods of fine woven 

 wire fencing were 

 placed by the State to 

 keep the beaver from 

 cutting poplar trees on 

 the land of two private 

 owners. The fence 

 proved a success. 



Wisconsin has not 

 imported any beaver, 

 but has protected them 

 by law for twelve years. 

 There are not large 

 numbers yet, but from 

 time to time reports 

 come in of damage to 

 private property 

 through flowage from 

 beaver dams. While 

 this damage is real in 

 some instances, first 

 and last the beaver colonists do more good than harm, 

 improving the country rather than damaging it. 



Two very high tributes have lately been paid the 

 beaver as a desirable citizen one by the county judge of 

 one of the northern Wisconsin counties, and one by the 

 land commissioner of a large and wealthy lumber com- 

 pany of northern Wisconsin, as follows : 



"Personally, and generally speaking, I am opposed to 

 the extermination of our wild life. I think a good deal 

 of the beaver, especially for the following reasons, among 

 others : 



"They furnish one of the very best examples of co- 



