BEAVERS IN EMBUDO

     In my experience on the Rio Grande, about 40 years, beavers have generally been a problem in the Embudo area. When I was in the process of buying the land where I am building my house, back in the mid-80's, several areas in the valley were being completely deforested by beavers. This was especially noticeable from the Embudo Station down to Velarde, and up at the Rigsby's in Rinconada. I observed areas where they were cutting down 20-30 large trees per week, representing hundreds of years of growth. While I had come to appreciate the work of beavers in the forest, their efforts along the Rio Grande could only be described as destructive, causing massive losses of habitat for other creatures and creating erosion of the banks of the river.

      I started my research of the problem at this point, with the goal of finding the best solution. Clearly the beavers served no beneficial purpose within the controlled system of the Rio Grande. Some local residents told me that beavers knew what they were doing and should be left alone to manage the sensitive ecosystem of the river. In a "natural" environment, that is, without humans and their various types of intrusions and protected animals, like dogs and cows, this might be true. But it doesn't take a lot of observation to dispel this idea as conditions now exist. I was raised as a hunter with a high sensitivity to natural processes and the life patterns of animals within an environment.

     I tried many experiments to try to discourage the beavers. Beginning with my lands along the river I tried spraying the trees with oils and paints and began a process of covering most of the cottonwoods with chicken wire. This process has proven to be most effective, except for during flooding, but it requires constant maintenance since the wire eventually corrodes or breaks or chokes the tree if not replaced, and the oils are ineffective after a few months. It also is only effective on larger trees since the beavers can bend or break the saplings. I have many hundreds of trees along the more than 2 miles of riverfront that I own. I have learned to sacrifice a certain percentage of these for the beavers, because when I covered all the trees in an area, the beavers would crawl further from the river and cut the fruit trees and other types that I planted. As the beaver population increased in the 90's they even crawled up the sides of the hills and started cutting Russian olives and juniper trees, which are highly toxic. Of course they freely cut down the groves of willows along the banks which I can not protect, resulting in large sections of the banks collapsing into barren gravel beaches. This process was further aggravated by the increasing number of beavers who needed homes and who would burrow along the banks, making continuous tunnel systems that would wash out and collapse during the spring flooding.

     I tried other methods to encourage the beavers to move on without success. These included placing mannequins and various foreign objects along the banks and chimes and other noisemakers in the bushes and trees where they were working in order to frighten them. But the beavers quickly became accustomed.

     The beaver wars reached a peak in 1994 when a huge flood from the Embudo water shed (see graphs) washed down dozens of beavers from the highland forests. I hired a workman (Larry McCann) who set up camp for the summer on my beach. But his presence, instead of scaring the beavers, caused them to retaliate by cutting down the trees next to his tent and by slapping the water all night. He got so upset that he started firing his gun at them one night, which precipitated a round of protests and complaints from the community. In this period it was not unusual to count up to a dozen beavers at one time along a stretch of my beach.

     When I passed on some of my observations regarding beaver counts and activities to local authorities, such as NM Game and Fish Dept. (Ron Ulibarri, Bill Montoya, Dick McKleski?), they claimed my reports were impossible, even though I had witnesses. They expressed no interest in offering any assistance. I inquired about possible solutions or programs, and I found that none existed to resolve the situation. (I also spoke to and/or had visits from Chris Chadwick and Max Martinez from Game and Fish, and I also talked to people at Taos District BLM and US Forest Service.) Apparently there had been a program for trapping, but that had been terminated. I tracked down the person (Carl Berghofer Sr.) who had operated the program (Beaver Rescue League?) in our area to investigate methods of trapping and relocation, since beavers could be of beneficial use in other forested areas, but I could find no support. Game and Fish suggested only that I shoot them, since if they were to trap them they would just kill them anyway. They said they did not have the time or resources to help me. They said they might be able to locate some traps for me to use, but unless the traps could be constantly monitored the beavers would die in the traps anyway. (I initially employed some traps during winter months when dogs and people were not in the water, which eventually hurt my neighbor's dog, but the traps only frightened the beavers. I never caught one.) I tried to enlist the help of my neighbors who were sympathetic to the beavers since I could only spend a few days a week in Embudo. But my neighbors, who also protested my shooting at the beavers on my own land, were unwilling to help.

     During this period (Fall of 1994?), Larry and I shot at and killed several beavers one evening. We, and my neighbors found some (2 or 3) of these beavers the next day along my beach. (See photos) Several of my neighbors, or their friends, lodged formal and informal complaints or protests against me. I informed them of my rights and the directions I had received from Game and Fish, and I offered to work with them if they would help me trap the beavers. Most of these confrontations took place over the phone, but I also wrote a letter to J*(local resident), a local wildlife activist who was leading the campaign against me. (I believe this letter and related information is on the computer and discs that the police took from my house in Embudo, but the gist is contained in the notes and letter to P* (neighbor) attached.) Most of my neighbors remained angry with me, calling me a murderer, even though some of them (i.e L* & S*) also were complaining about the beaver damage to their lands.
What became immediately apparent after this beaver "massacre" was that the beavers left the area (moved downstream?). During this period shots could be heard from time to time both upstream and downstream, generally after sunset. Because the valley is so narrow and steep in the Embudo area, sound carries a long distance, and gunshots are particularly disturbing because the echoes amplify and distort the proximity. Also it was not unusual in those days for various people to take random shots at each other (Hispanics vs. Anglos, Lujans vs. Leybas, Preston Cox, Case Cohen, etc.) I should point out that this is one of the reasons why I also had some handguns around the house.

     Having seen that an occasional shooting of a beaver would eliminate or diminish my beaver infestation, I set about designing and fabricating a "quiet" gun, using 22's that would only wound and scare the beavers away without terrorizing the neighbors. (It would be practically impossible to kill a beaver with a low powered 22 (I used the lowest power ammo available) unless you hit it up close in the eye. Beaver skins and bodies are very tough.) It took me three attempts to create an effective design (the rifle), which I have used on a regular basis to patrol my land (generally around the new moon when the beavers are more likely to be around when it is still light).

      Obviously I had no idea that I was breaking any law, and it still amazes me that I could have been breaking a law for so many years in front of so many people without anyone else saying anything. I had gotten the idea of a silencer from some friends and from TV shows that never said they were illegal. Literally hundreds of people passed through my house each year (where I openly displayed my guns, and I was regularly complimented on my 22 design w/ silencer), and my neighbors, who saw me regularly with my silencer, would have jumped at the chance to turn me in. Of course I had checked about my legal rights to use guns on my own land and to shoot the beavers.

      I can't believe that anyone could claim there is not a continual beaver problem in the area (as you yourself have witnessed), but the problem moves around and has not been excessive in recent years because of my efforts (and a few other neighbors). Obviously, trees no longer exist along the river in the areas where humans and dogs don't live. Speaking of dogs, the attached letter to P*, dated 3/1/98, a version of which was originally sent to J*, resulted from an injury to my neighbor's dog from an attempt to use traps during the winter. Please read!

     My lawyer, C.H., also has experience (with recorded testimony) from my civil case with my neighbor across the river, who accused me of cutting down dozens of trees on her land while she was away, which were obviously cut by the beavers who had homes there.

REFERENCE / CONTACTS:

NM Game and Fish - (from 1994 agenda) 827-7911
Bill Montoya - District Director? 827-7899 / 827-7911
Dick McKleski(SP?)
Max Martinez - Damage Control 753-3613 (Española)
Chris Chadwick
Ron Ulibarri -852-4275 - Los Luceros (contacted 4/94+)

Other Official Contacts
Taos Area B.L.M. - 758-8851 (Terry Humphreys, Sam Desgeorges, Chuck Schultz, Paul Williams??)
Carl Berghofer Sr. - Beaver Rescue League? + Trapper - 579-4652 or 579-4312? Dixon / (587-2357 Peñasco / 455-2311?)
Jeannie Cornelius - Animal Protection -579-4608 Dixon

Note* My memories (and facts) are mostly established by reviewing my "agendas". These are filled with proof of my activities regarding the beavers (and everything else!) over the years which you may wish to review.

LETTER TO NEIGHBOR

*Edited to remove names*
March 1, 1998

Dear P (Neighbor),

     I first wish to apologize for causing so much pain and anger. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I love dogs and beavers and all of God's creatures. It is my love of nature that motivates me each day. It is my hope that you will try to remember that I am also one of God's creatures, and that you will take the time to try to understand my point of view.

     In your anger you expressed violent feelings that I am not capable of, nor can I adequately address them except to express my remorse and say that I am sorry. But some of the things that you said demonstrated a need for an understanding. The primary concept that I wish to address is "Nature". You used that word as a weapon against me, which assumes your understanding, but I am requesting that you examine what Nature is and what you meant to express. For me, nature encompasses all living things; including dogs, cows, beavers, humans, trees, and mosquitos. But I do not limit nature to its parts, for having lived a good part of my life away from "Man's world" (within nature?), I have observed Nature as the interaction of all of its parts, as the force that binds all living things together into one force seeking balance. This force is expressed in a process of life and death, creation and destruction, and a superior order designed beyond the comprehension of any human being. When I was very young I observed that it was Man in his presumption that he is superior to nature, and with his lack of observation of nature and its order, who was causing the rapid destruction of the balance among other living things. I was filled with anger and asked God how he could create such a horrible force. My understanding was that Man was created to guide and protect Nature, to assume responsibility through his elevated intelligence. I later believed that the problem was to be found in Man's words and ideas that were the source of such unconscious or malevolent actions. Without words, humans might live like other animals in accordance with the "laws of Nature". One only needs to examine the dictionary, and how, for example, Man defines "nature" and "natural" (or even "love") to see the problems with words as a source of understanding. I still believe that the greatest destructive force on this planet is that Man has come to believe in his words and ideas more than his senses or observations. Yet I have come to learn how to also love Mankind as a part of Nature, for only through love and acceptance can we truly learn to see and therefore act responsibly. It is my belief that Man exists only to serve Nature and not the other way around. It is my hope that Man discovers his role in nature before he destroys it and himself.

      I could give numerous examples and experiences that have molded my understandings, but my primary source is always direct and prolonged observation without superimposing some arbitrary belief structure. It is my sense of responsibility to what I observe in nature that determines my actions. Everything I have, and everything I am, has come from my own efforts to see clearly and act responsibly. I am presently spending much of my time and resources on trying to protect the Amazon rainforest because I see this as the most important immediate problem facing the survival of all living things. I have already helped to insure the survival of more plant and animal species than exist in the entire state of New Mexico. I commit more resources to the protection of nature than I do to my own existence. Because of my generosity many people think that I am rich, but I rarely make enough money to even pay taxes. I have met very few people that contribute as much to protecting the life on this planet. If I fail it is usually because I try to care for too many problems.

      So you might ask how such a tragedy could happen today with Pup. The short answer is that I made an error in judgement, but a true understanding is not as simple as your words today implied.
When I moved to Embudo over 10 years ago, I witnessed the wholesale destruction of hundreds of trees and natural habitat by the beavers. In some areas they were cutting down dozens of trees per week. It was clear that, excepting Man and his animals (ie. dogs and cows), the beavers were the most destructive force in the area to the "natural" (pre-existing) environment . I talked to some people who said what you did, that is that beavers are a beneficial force and know what they are doing. (I suppose you could also say this about the other members of the rodent family, like rats and mice, though most people choose to eliminate them.) I also had my years of living among beavers in the mountains and had observed their marvelous work creating habitat. So I did nothing and spent several years researching and observing. My observations showed only more destruction and elimination of habitat for other plants and animals. The beavers were undercutting the banks which collapsed into gravel becoming barren. The barren beaches they created where there had been trees, shade and numerous plants and animals eroded away during the high water. They cut the trees without any plan or regard for their use.

      I researched back through history and read about the cycles of beavers in and out of the valley. You will notice that the only large trees are either far from the river or in proximity to human habitat. When I first moved here there were hundreds of trees on the island across from me. Between the Embudo Station and Velarde were also many trees. Now both areas are nearly desert. If you look in the archives you will find many pictures of the area. In the Chili Line book there are some pictures of I__'s where you will see no trees existed along the river. I thought this might have been caused by the railroad because they cut down most of the tall pine and cedar in the area for their engines, but apparently they could not use the cottonwood. Apparently what happened is that the destruction of the high mountain forests through lumbering caused flooding which brought the beavers down. For much of that period the trappers kept the beaver population in check. The trappers left with the rest of the people (when the railroad left), and the beavers took over and eliminated all of the trees and therefore destroyed their means to survive. (Not unlike what Man is doing.) I have been told that beavers don't "naturally" exist on the Rio Grande, but have developed and adapted because of the destruction of their natural habitat and the disruption of the natural processes by man. I have seen evidence of this, especially when a large overpopulation develops. Wherever Man goes, the natural processes are disrupted and imbalances create a chain of destructive events. Only Man has the ability to act responsibly to counteract the effects of his own presence.

       In nature there are natural predator cycles. In simple terms, the "prey" prosper and then the "predators" come and prosper until they consume all the prey and the process begins again. Of course this happens on many different levels and often the "prey" are plants and even whole environments which disappear and do not return until the "predators" disappear. Some predators seem benign, like cows, but anyone looking at the big picture will witness the massive destruction they cause, especially when there are to many. Some animals come and go every few years, or disappear altogether. Some cycles take decades (e.g.beavers) or even centuries to complete. In this fragile environment the cycles are especially pronounced. With investigation, I found that beavers have very few natural predators. In recent history, man has been the primary predator creating abnormal cycles. Even more important to this area (and the rest of the planet) is that Man's presence disrupts all the natural processes.

       (A Neighbor) protested my killing of the beaver because, she said, there was so little animal life. But she maintains a pack of dogs which assure that she will have almost no animal life on her property except for beavers who are inadvertently protected by the dogs. If she visited my land, (at least before so many dogs started running my property and killing everything they can find just for fun) she would find an abundance of wild life. There are so many animals running around my house it is sometimes difficult to sleep. They sense that I am a friendly loving spirit and seek refuge close to my house which the dogs generally avoid. Many animals around my house don't even pause in their activities when I am around. This is also why I have had so many beavers living on my land at one time. Normally beavers are shy creatures and very territorial, requiring, according to local experts, up to a quarter mile of river for each family. I was told it was impossible when I reported that one evening a friend and I counted eleven or twelve beavers in one stretch of my land at one time, because beavers never go out at the same time, which (they said) indicated I had at least 30 to 40 beavers in less than a quarter mile of river. And this explains why the beavers would fight all night and why they were climbing up the sides of the steep rocky hills to cut down cedar trees and Russian olives. They were a very unhappy group, but all the dogs downstream seemed to dissuade them from moving on, at which point I began trying to encourage them to thin out. I tried many strategies to frighten off the beavers. I called every agency who had jurisdiction, but they only suggested killing them. They said if they came to trap the beavers it would be to kill them. I tried to find someone who would "live trap" the beavers and relocate them, but no one was willing. One agency said they would try to find me some live traps, but the traps would just drown the beavers unless they were constantly monitored. Since I cannot afford to stay in Embudo for prolonged periods, I offered you and my other concerned neighbors this option, but no one has expressed any willingness to help protect the beavers by relocating them. I tried everything I could imagine to scare off the beavers, and for short periods they would seem to subside until a new group would arrive, washed down with each flood. So yes I shot at some of them when they were way over populated, upon the direction of the Forest Service, and that definitely worked. Most of them moved on. They have started to increase again and I am still searching for some help, especially from those who are so anxious to condemn me for trying to preserve my environment for the hundreds of other plants and animals that enjoy refuge on my property.

        I encourage you to hike around my properties as well as the entire river front between here and Velarde and closely observe each environment and the life and death of each area. At minimum you will observe that under Man's protection, dogs and beavers prosper at the expense of every other form of life. As much as I love dogs, I have been sad to watch them run off the raccoons, bobcats, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes and other animals that I normally would see each day on my property. And it makes me even sadder to have to harass the beavers to the point of shooting them. But saddest of all is to watch the entire destruction of the rich river environment that the beavers inevitably destroy until it can no longer support them and they die off. I don't choose to hurt any living thing. I also didn't choose to have a beaver overpopulation, it has been handed to me by my "neighbors" who only seem interested in attacking me.

      My intention is to create health, diversity and sustainability. And as always I invite constructive advice and any help from anyone who is also concerned. But as of yet, no one has offered any assistance and I must do what I can to assist and maximize the survival of my little corner of the universe, including supporting a limited and sustainable group of beavers. You might say I am playing God, but no less than every person who moves into a pre-existing natural environment. Do you think that you have done less damage to the plant and animal life in the area by moving up on the virgin mesa? Since I have moved here the plants and animals on my properties have flourished. This is partly because I have tried to restrict the beavers, but you will notice I also create habitat for the beavers and give up many trees each year to sustain them.

      The trap that I set, that Pup managed to find, was part of several things I have done to selectively discourage the beavers from certain critical areas. I acquired that trap specifically because it was designed for smaller animals. I was told it would not hurt the beavers, but only scare them away, and it has worked well for several years. I put it out during the middle of the winter when the beavers tend to be the most aggressive, and I try to place it where I believe no other animals would encounter it. I have never witnessed a dog going into the water this time of year and have never witnessed a dog under the end of my dock where I had put the trap a couple of months ago. I have monitored the trap on a regular basis. The beavers had set it off on a couple occasions which had seemed to stop them from cutting in that area. The trap had remained untouched for the past several weeks and I had observed it in place no more than an hour before Pup got into it.

      I do not mean to excuse myself. I would have never used the trap if I could have imagined that this could happen. I can assure you it will never happen again. The immense pain I feel for the pain I caused is a far greater teacher than any condemnation you might offer.

      It would require a book to more fully explain the order behind my actions. I offer this minimal accounting not to avoid responsibility but to let you know that I am not unconscious. I am accustomed to encountering people who don't understand me or my actions, and generally those people are the least willing to seek understanding because they have a fixed and narrow point of view. Still I invite any interested parties to participate or address their concerns, and I am always anxious to learn. If you truly have a concern for the environment, or any other issue relating to me, I hope you will come to discuss it, or at least allow me the opportunity to address it in a constructive manner. Even more valuable would be for you to spend some time examining the environment along the river and observing Nature from her point of view. I would also like the opportunity to walk with you on my part of the river to share some of the things I have learned from Nature.

Sincerely, MER