The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

Letter: Petition to Save the Beavers of the Farrell’s Marsh in Steilacoom

By

Submitted by Greg Alderete, Founder of Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of the Farrells Marsh.

Sadly, members of the group Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of Farrell’s Marsh Wildlife Preserve announce that Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas has again hired a trapper to kill the beaver family (nesting pair and three kits) so their dam can be destroyed. During the last year has chosen to not follow the expert advise of multiple environmental and wildlife experts against this cruel and unnecessary slaughter.

The optimal solution to live with the beaver is to place a small pipe in the dam at the optimal level of the pond, called a “Pond Leveler or Beaver Deceiver). Substantially more cost effective than $900 every year the Town pays the trapper. This will prevent flooding, keep the water level at an optimal habitat level while replenishing the aquifer. The beaver cannot compromise this system and will thrive as the marsh continues to provide for the fragile ecosystem while at the same time the removing contaminated street drainage (oil, pesticides, other heavy metals) before entering directly into the the Puget Sound.

Various type of kill traps

In the last year the Beaver have restored the marsh and amazingly wildlife and waterfowl, not seen in the marsh in decades, are returning. Several trails are flooded for now but alternate trails have been pioneered to work around this minor inconvenience until the water level goes down (May-June). Bring your Kayak and camera and enjoy the serenity of this spectacular wildness sanctuary.

Graphic Picture from the internet to demonstrate.

The trapper is using Conibear Kill Traps. These dangerous traps kill wildlife (racoons, blue heron, Canada Geese) indiscriminately. Since, there is no warning signage in the park visitors and their are a risk of stumbling on one of these traps and suffering serious injury. The mayor and trapper have refused to disclose where the traps are so be advised. If your dog happens upon one it could easily kill it. You have only a few seconds to remove it before your animal is strangled or drowned.

Farrells Marsh Western 62 Acre paradise

If you frequent the marsh I would encourage you to learn how to remove one of these traps from your pet or child. A quick search on the internet will demonstrate just how inhuman and lethal these traps are. The trapper has been given approval to remove the beaver by Mr. Lucas because he sees them as an imminent threat to several residents homes who live near the ineffective culvert drainage system the town has decided not to upgrade.

Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of Farrell’s Marsh Wildlife Preserve have created a Petition to Support the Beaver Family in Farrell Marsh.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.

Comments

  1. I thought there was a state law, passed in the 1990s, which prohibited the trapping of animals. Apparently it can be by-passed if the right kind of situation inconveniences certain people.

    The installation of the “Pond Leveler or Beaver Deceiver” seems the wiser choice; the beavers continue with their lives, children and pets are saved from possible harm (possible death?) and property owners are served.

    And why is it that beavers can be killed, but moles are still protected? Moles continue to destroy grassy areas in people’s lawns and public areas. The damage done is unsightly and costly to repair, only to have it destroyed again and again.

    • The trapping season is set from November 1 to March 31. The town requested a special kill permit stating that several houses were in imminent danger of flooding should the dam be compromised.

      • Is Farrell’s Marsh just a park in Steilacoom or a Wildlife Preserve? If not a Preserve under State protection we should darn well make it one so this nonsense never is repeated again. Why for goodness sake was the pond leveler not used from the beginning versus the kill theory? Let’s do this folks, save the beavers!

  2. People need to do their research on our marsh. Years ago I was on a Farrell marsh community committee. In our research there were no beavers in the marsh. But in the last several years they are now there cutting down huge trees and making our trails hard to walk on with the water. Take your blinders off beavers do not belong in Farrell marsh.

    • “Beavers do not belong in Farrell marsh?” Well that is a close minded and bold statement to make.

      According to the Washington State Wildlife website …
      “Once among the most widely distributed mammals in North America, beavers were eliminated from much of their range in the late 1800s because of unregulated trapping. With a decline in the demand for beaver pelts, and with proper management, they became reestablished in much of their former range and are now common in many areas.”

      So do you mean they don’t belong there because man had killed them off like the Steilacoom Mayor is trying to do now?

        • Valid point I think the beavers have more right to a wildlife preserve than humans do! KM Hill you are way out voted on this topic!
          I say the beavers win this case hands down and an illegal act by a resigned Mayor does not excuse his repeating this violation a 2nd time in this wildlife preserve. Shame on him and the trapper for this illegal contract without consent of the Town Council or the Citizens.

        • Kellie – either I did not make my point clear or it was misinterpreted.
          The point I was trying to make is what shared in your post as well. Beavers are the rightful dwellers of the Marsh.

      • KM Hills, I owe you my apologies, yes my message was meant for Marilyn Reid, not to you.
        Kellie

    • In fact, beaver have been in that marsh for over 100 years much of the evidence of fallen trees remains on the JBLM side of the marsh. In the last year we have been in contract with subject matter experts in the field of Wetland Preservation from Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Management and multiple private citizens organizations who, with scientific evidence, will strongly disagree with you opinion.

      Yes last year, before the at least one of the nesting pair were killed, the beaver fell two (2) trees, yes two (2) trees within 62 acres. These trees have become a major attraction to the park visitors who are able to witness the work one of natures great engineers. These two (2) trees are becoming part of natures life cycle. Insects and fungi of the marsh will cause decay but will attract the Pileated and Downy wood peckers as a source of food.

      Water levels ebb and flow during the winter its part of the natural cycle of a wetland. Only one trail is slightly flooded due to the excessive rain we experienced this year. However its is easily traverse with boots and an alternate trail was pioneered by volunteers, just after the foot bridge, to allow unprepared or new visitors to circumnavigate the small area that is currently flooded. As of yesterday the water level, which is monitored daily by volunteers, has begun to recede and will continue to as we approach the summer months. Water attracts life. In the last year we have seen a remarkable transformation of a fetid swamp to a rejuvenated wetland resplendent with the full spectrum of water fowl and amphibians. We have also seen a dramatic increase in bird watchers.

      I met a young Steilacoom resident, soon to be freshmen, who asked me if he knew where he could borrow a kayak so he could explore the water areas for amphibian eggs. I told him I just so happen to have another Kayak and we will be meeting there Saturday. He says he has an idea to integrate the Farrells Marsh into the science programs of the schools within Steilacoom. Can’t wait to hear his thoughts. Teachers get ready for Nate May.

      Marilyn I want to thank you for your obtuse post. I could not have demonstrated better an example of the consistent opposition conservationists face from those who have little to no expertise in wetland management and who continue to be an obstacle to those who do.

      A special thanks to the outstanding volunteers we who seek to preserve that fragile habitat from urban encroachment and scientific literacy. Last Sunday 20 citizen volunteers showed up to help remove invasive plants.

      Update. Mayor Lucas has resigned. Issues related to the marsh can now be addressed to the mayor pro temp, council members or the city administrator.

  3. Ron Lucas resigned as Mayor at the March 2, 2021 Council meeting due to health reasons.
    Council will discuss the process for filling the vacancy at their March 16, 2021 meeting. Until the vacancy is filled, Mayor Pro Tempore Crumley will act as Mayor.

    Therefore I suggest you contact Mr. Crumley to have that trapper fired and the traps removed. I wonder if this was even brought up at the Town Council by Ron Lucas before he once again hired the trapper?
    I agree with Dave “he installation of the “Pond Leveler or Beaver Deceiver” seems the wiser choice!”
    Kellie

    • The trapper was seen in the Marsh last week. He is NOT interested in your interest in beaver trapping or at least he wasn’t interested in mine. The trail camera that has been there the last 12 months is either gone or relocated. We do not know if he was retrieving his traps or placing new ones. He was under a verbal cash contract with Mayor Lucas silently given to him without notifying members of the City Council or in the public record. But the audit trail was found so we were able to validate he was paid and the traps proved he was actively trying to trap and kill them. Any beaver taken have to be reported to the state who tally them up as part of a state wide harvest program. So at this point in time we do not know if the marsh is free of dangerous kill traps and until such time that the Mayor Pro tempe validates their absence it is prudent assume they are still there and well hidden as before. Exercise extreme caution if you leave the trails especially if you have small children or dogs. If you encounter any understand that they are exceedingly dangerous and can cause severe injuries including death to dogs. Take a picture and make a mental note as to where they are located and contact the Mayor.

  4. Ensuring that humans can co-exist with other natural species is necessary to the health of our planet. Thank you for providing this information on sustaining the gift of this wonderful habitat. I fully support this less invasive means of preserving this natural area that had been manipulated in decades past to be a fruit tree orchard.

  5. The Pond Leveler or Beaver Deceiver has been used successfully in the Nisqualy Wildlife Refuge. So the expertise for installing such a device is close at hand.

  6. If they install the pond leveler to drain off some of the water, then the problem of water over the trails will be solved, and the beavers will not have to be killed. The best solution.

  7. To Greg Alderete, Founder of Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of the Farrells Marsh: I fully support your letter, with its reasonable compromise, and have signed your petition. If I can help further, let me know.

  8. I support stopping the trapping and trying out a pond leveler…unless and until such time as there is new evidence the beavers are becoming too destructive to the area. I don’t consider fallen trees on the paths to be sufficient reason to remove the beavers (sorry, bikers).

    • Gil multple trees have fallen across the main trails in the last couple months from decay and wind. Usually within 24 hours volunteers are either removing them or cutting passage ways to walk through. Not a single tree fell by a beaver has obstructed any path in the Steilacoom side of the marsh in the recent memory. A quick study of the forest and you will discover many trees that nature has taken down. What is not know is if they made a sound.

  10. Why can’t they use the technique in place down at the Nisqually River Delta? At the Reserve they had beavers being beavers and kept building their dam. The Reserve finally put in place some tubing to allow the beavers to have their dam and allow for run off. Is this the type of solution mentioned in this article? Why is the mayor so kill happy? I would like to think he’s just uninformed of other options. Killing the beavers is not the answer… Let them be, and teach our children how we can get along with, and live alongside, nature. Not destroy it.

  11. “Lucky,” the Beaver that lives in Farrell Marsh is my kind of guy! Wildlife returning to show the Town of Steilacoom how tough he is, and to build a dam his darn way and raise his family, he has every right to be left alone, and the good towns people will take care of the up & down water level, so enjoy this Treasure that has returned during our Covid nightmare, it will bring many good people back into the grace of god, and what the wild will do to survive!! GO LUCKY!!!

  12. I was appalled at what I read about this inhumane extinction of the Beaver who is not a threat to the community or environment. Mr. Lucas you need to search your heart and do the right thing. These traps are dangerous for people and their pets. Tell the people where the traps are so they can be safe.

  13. This is inhumane and downright murder of a beaver family. Traps and snares need to be outlawed in this country not only for the suffering and pain inflicted on the animals, but its also a public safety issue for people and companion pets. Stop this madness!

  14. Beavers are a cornerstone animal that are greatly needed for their influence on nature.