Destroying there, Żeremi, backfilling nor and shoot 120 beavers in three years – are the actions that the Staszów Forest District applied for this year. Because the beaver is protected, the consent of the Regional Director of Environmental Protection is required for this. In May, RDOŚ issued such consent in Kielce.
The forest inspectorate explained that beavers “destroy retention reservoirs built from EU funds”, and this creates a “threat to the safety of people and property”. The matter aroused outrage, ecological organizations, including the Nasz Bóbr Association, demanded explanations. On Monday, we sent to the forest district and RDOŚ questions And a request for comment, other media also dealt with the matter. And on Tuesday foresters informedthat they “depart from performing actions” and look for other solutions.
Beavers destroy the tanks?
The Staszów Forest Inspectorate built pawl and three tanks in 2007-2013 as part of the water retention project and counteracting drought. Funds from the European Union were obtained for this, and the construction cost a total of over PLN 2 million. Then – as foresters explain – the beaver population was small there. However, in the last several years it has grown throughout Poland. For this accumulation of water, they created more favorable conditions and the number of beaver began to grow.
Beavers, building dams, naturally support the retention of water in the landscape, which the foresters themselves admit. This not only allows you to stop water in the landscape and supports the fight against drought, but it improves biodiversity (because other animals also use water, from insects to mammals). However, recently – as the Forest District claims – animals interfere with hydrotechnical devices.
In addition, they copy the burrows in the dykes. This, according to foresters, in the worst accident It may end with their interruption and flooding of the buildings below. As an example, they give flooding of the medium voltage line as a result of beavers.
In a statement from last week, foresters explained the reason for the decision to shoot beavers. They paid attention primarily to security issues. However, in the consent of the RDOŚ, not the destruction of safety and destruction are not safety issues, but “damage in stands and forest crops” as a result of “braking water flow”, destruction of the edges, etc. In addition, the consent includes six different places, not all directly adjacent to the tanks.
Safe beavers
On Monday, we sent to the forest inspectorate Adam Lubera questions about exactly what the reasons for the decision to shoot beavers and the destruction of their nor, whether attempts were made to apply alternative solutions and whether he does not see the contradictions in the fact that animals supporting natural water retention are to be killed to protect retention reservoirs.
On Tuesday, before the publication of the article, the forest inspectorate published on its website new announcement:
“In connection with the controversies caused by RDOŚ decisions, the Staszów Forest District informs that he is abandoning the performance of actions covered by decisions and does not plan to take actions interfering with the European bean habitats.”
Foresters emphasized that no actions have been carried out so far, i.e. the destruction of there and Żeremi or the beavers were not yet destroyed.
Ineffective fight with beavers
In a new announcement, the forest inspectorate stated that “in the interests of the good of nature, respect for the voice of civil society and the need to develop solutions balancing environmental protection with infrastructure security, an attempt will be made to find an alternative and less invasive solution.”
This is needed, the more that – as he said in a conversation with Gazeta.pl dr Andrzej Czech, specialist and author of the book on beavers – 3 beavers a year and destroying their nor would not have much effect. Because even after taking actions planned by the forest inspectorate in the same areas, subsequent beavers would settle and continue to kick the burrows and built dams.
If the biggest problem really is digging nor in the dykes, then there is a solution used in such cases – the grave protection with the mesh, through which the beavers will not pass. This prevents them from digging and the risk of violating the stability of the edges disappears. According to Dr. Czech, this should be done at the very beginning, during construction, and the lack of such protection is called “a mistake in art”. However, such a mesh can still be placed on the dykes to protect them against beavers for the future.
The forest inspectorate promised that “an expertise on alternative solutions that can be used” would be ordered. She also emphasized that he has in its area areas of beaver, which he leaves without interference, and the animal population is stable there.