In the early 1600s, when settlers first arrived in North America, an estimated 400 million beavers inhabited the continent. These early arrivals found a lush, fertile land. Immediately, they began putting their imprint on the territory. In less than 100 years, a demand for fashionable beaver hats in Europe started a trapping industry that flourished into the mid-1800s, when beavers became nearly extinct. The consequences have been profound: eroded streams, dried-up wetlands, and loss of vital habitat for salmon and countless other creatures that flourish in beaver-created ponds and marshes.
Wesley Roe (Santa Barbara Permaculture Network) brought to my attention an award-winning book titled Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by the environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb. It documents the difficulty beavers are having in regaining a presence in their former land. Naturalists and conservationists actively campaigned for their protection in the early 20th century, but just as beavers started reestablishing a foothold, farmers and ranchers started shooting them as pests due to their penchant for damming irrigation ditches.
Although there are still conflicted attitudes toward beavers among segments of society, and government agencies frequently work at cross purposes regarding beavers’ reestablishment, things are finally beginning to look up for these industrious workers. Water is the most important resource for a farmer or rancher, and beavers are masters at water capture. Ranchers, even in the arid West, are finding that their pasturelands and hayfields are lusher when beavers are nearby. A few are even advocating for their return.