Residents: Beavers wreaking havoc at Seattle park
SEATTLE -- Beavers are destroying trees at a popular Seattle park, but not everyone agrees on how best to deal with the animals.
Regulars at Ballard's Golden Gardens Park say beavers are taking down far too many trees and spoiling the park's natural beauty.
"To me, my opinion, it looks like destruction," said Linda Peterson.
Peterson also said the problem is getting worse.
"Every day when I come here there's another tree down," she said. "Or two or three."
After noticing the ever-increasing damage, Peterson called the Parks and Recreation Department to complain. She said she didn't get the answer she was looking for.
"I asked them, 'What are we going to do about this beaver?' And they said nothing. Just let him go," she said.
Parks officials say beavers have been part of the natural ecosystem for years and are not presenting a danger to people or buildings. The city also says it plants two additional trees for every tree taken down by a beaver.
Despite that pledge, some experts question whether the city can keep up.
"Oh, there's a beaver problem here," said Michael Mead.
Mead owns Critter Control, a private business that removes pesky wildlife. He estimates there could be anywhere from four to eight beavers in the area.
"Until all the trees are gone the beavers are probably going to continue to stay here," Mead said.
The beavers have been building small dams that cause water to back up in the pond, and some park users say the water sometimes rises up to the walkway. City crews keep removing the dams, but some people wish they'd just remove the beavers.
Regulars at Ballard's Golden Gardens Park say beavers are taking down far too many trees and spoiling the park's natural beauty.
"To me, my opinion, it looks like destruction," said Linda Peterson.
Peterson also said the problem is getting worse.
"Every day when I come here there's another tree down," she said. "Or two or three."
After noticing the ever-increasing damage, Peterson called the Parks and Recreation Department to complain. She said she didn't get the answer she was looking for.
"I asked them, 'What are we going to do about this beaver?' And they said nothing. Just let him go," she said.
Parks officials say beavers have been part of the natural ecosystem for years and are not presenting a danger to people or buildings. The city also says it plants two additional trees for every tree taken down by a beaver.
Despite that pledge, some experts question whether the city can keep up.
"Oh, there's a beaver problem here," said Michael Mead.
Mead owns Critter Control, a private business that removes pesky wildlife. He estimates there could be anywhere from four to eight beavers in the area.
"Until all the trees are gone the beavers are probably going to continue to stay here," Mead said.
The beavers have been building small dams that cause water to back up in the pond, and some park users say the water sometimes rises up to the walkway. City crews keep removing the dams, but some people wish they'd just remove the beavers.
Save a tree, eat a beaver.
Some people put chicken wire (or similar) around the base of the tree - stretching about 2-3 ft grom the ground. Perhaps trying that?
Considering it's Ballard, they seem to have problems dealing with animals -- salmon-loving sea lions in the locks come to mind.
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Its Nature....bityerquitchen.
Leave it to Beaver!
I just hate it when beavers wreak havoc, they are, afterall beavers doing what beavers do. Oh wait, I have the solution. Lets plow the park over and build condo. Yeah that'll show those pesky critters.
Keep the Beavers.
Remove the Dopers and Degenerates from Golden Gardens.
I have eaten Beaver and it is pretty good. Don't get rude, that is Beaver with a capital "B"
It seems like nature is ruining nature for these twits. Move back to California.
dam beavers!
critter control just looking for a payday, as for the other lady I'm sure the beavers don't like her either
just like deer, oh they are so cute, until they start eating the home owners flowers. then it's move them or kill them. all the people loving the nature until it becomes an inconvenience
Someone needs to call Oregon State and have them come pick their mascot back up.
City crews keep removing dams and beavers keep felling trees to build dams. Â How can this cycle of violence be broken? Â
Remove the people and there wont be any problems. Leave the beavers alone!
There are no real "apex" predators for beaver, Occasionally a wolf, or a mink on a young beaver, but they are water mammals at the top of their food chain and populations are largely governed by the amount of habitat. That said, they usually begin at the point in the watershed where they can build a dam that will withstand flooding and work upstream to the end of available water. Sooner or later, that means they will likely totally alter the are they are currently in and move to private lands. You will need to decide whether you want a park for people and some amount of animals (controlled to retain the features of a park), a wildlife area, where some harvest can occur and people can visit and observe, but primarily managed for animals, or a preserve where you allow nature to take its course unfettered, and people and their trails, boardwalks, are actually an intrusion and detrimental to the system. The latter two are very seldom compatible with urban or near urban areas, and with the preserve, you had better get out your checkbook, since it will require thousands of acres to be successful. They naturally change their habitat, making it very suitable for them, but very unsuitable for people, except on the large river systems where they are bank dwellers.Â
 @madcroatian I see the Critter Control guy has checked in
"The beavers have been building small dams that cause water to back up in the pond, and some park users say the water sometimes rises up to the walkway."Â I'd say just raise the walkway, maybe put a spillway underneath.
All the liberal  hypocrites fail to realize that we have already destroyed the ecosystem in seattle beyond repair. Part of preserving what we have in this beautiful state is wildlife management. Removing a few beavers is necessary in preserving parks. Get over killing a few beavers, you have already degraded the environment more than your granola loving brain can comprehend by driving your Prius.Â
 @GOCOUGS My mom drives a Prius and is about as conservative as you can get.
 @GOCOUGS "removing a few beavers is necessary in preserving parks" - Does not sound like a logical argument. It seems more uninformed on the subject of preservation or conservation. But, maybe if we got those liberal monkeys to kill the beavers they would at least make save their pelts and make caps out of them like the old days. Heck we could just go ahead and try to eradicate the whole species again,
 @seattle2040 Since there is no apex predator to keep the beaver population at a reasonable level, they will continue to breed, multiply, and destroy the park. Lets get this straight, we are not trying to preserve and conserve a pristine wildlife area, its a park. Parks need to be managed. How about we don't do anything to the park and let it go to crap, that sounds natural to me.Â
 @Woodswalker I didn't know cougars eat beavers?
Or cougars in Bellevue...
 @GOCOUGS  @seattle2040 I think there are some coyotes in Kent that would take on the job....
The thing is, these guys arent endangering anyone, I have an idea, how about some quick overflow solutions that could keep the ponds reasonable and work around them. We need to keep our wildlife where reasonable. Of course I am a bit of a hypocrite because I am all for blasting a coyote that goes after the family pet or livestock.Â
tree huggers love trees and nature but when nature does what it is suppose to then they are mad and it is ugly. Â The only ugly thing I see is people complaining about beavers doing what they are made to do.
Sounds like a people problem to me.
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obviously the only way to solve a situation wi th nature or animals is to subdue, remove or destroy it.
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i bet removing he dams they build probably causes them to.....wait for it............cut down more trees! maybe?
Sort of funny. I was interviewed for this at golden gardens and they didn't actually quote or show my commentary. They told me I would be on at 5 and 6:30. I was not. None of that matters except that my point of view was pro beaver! i said they are great for natural propagation of willows, ensuring more beautiful vegetation and habitat for birds. As well as fish in the streams. Our parks are supposed to be nature reserves, think about all of the amazing national parks in this country. Wouldn't a little of that be nice in the concrete jungle? The beavers also back up water to create ponds where even more wildlife comes to exist. To remove the animals you would have to transport the somehow out of the city. Paying someone to do that is an excess cost, relocating them can be difficult and they will often find a culvert and clog that. Causing much more damage and cost to cities. The problem isn't the beavers it is the people who don't understand them.
 @seattle2040 Beavers actually destroy streams and create areas that are inhabitable for many native anadromous species. Since native apex predators  have been removed from the environment, it is up to humans to preserve what nature is left. Shooting or trapping and killing the beavers is a logical and inexpensive option.Â
People have done much more damage everywhere on the planet than any animal that's ever lived.
Then why dont you take the lead in reducing the amound done just by a human living?
Acute lead poisoning would solve the problem with the beavers and the damn sea lions.Â
 @F4I @GOCOUGS I'm not sure that would work, let's try it out on you and see how effective it is.
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 @Linda AtSea  @F4I Well, seeing that human have been effective at eliminating almost every other species on the face of the earth, killing a few beavers in a park doesn't seem too difficult.Â
You first?
I'm with Linda----wayyyyyy more ppl deserve to go.Â
Geez...wildlife was here long before we were. If you remove these, others will come. Did we learn nothing from the sea lion problems in Ballard?
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Leave the environment alone. Please.
I don't really think that beavers are the biggest threat to Seattle's environment. (...heh heh heh, beaver, heh heh..)
Those pesky dam beavers!!
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But seriously.........OMG. C'mon people.......... can't you appreciate nature as it is meant to be? What terrible harm is that beaver doing to you? Live and let live. geez, the beaver is just doing what comes naturally. Is this planet too small to share with any species other than human? Arg. There's no hope..............
That is a pretty determined beaver :). They could remove the beavers and relocate them elsewhere.
Stupid animals and nature. Why don't the beavers go back where they came from...........
 @F4IÂ
 @SandyBeachÂ
They ARE where they came from!
 @Linda AtSea  @F4I  @SandyBeach Hon, you need to go look up the definition of sarcasm.
@stamperzann @Linda AtSea @F4I @SandyBeach AHHHHHH. Sorry.
Dam beaver's.
 @F4I LOL.......some one had to say it!
@F4I
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Dam people.