WHEREAS the exploding beaver population is costing municipalities thousands of dollars in infrastructure destruction; and

WHEREAS municipal ratepayers will encounter financial losses because of flooded land and yard sites, as well as property access problems;

BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of Saskatchewan establish a beaver bounty in the amount of $40 per beaver to be cost-shared 50/50 with rural municipalities and administered by the municipality, similar to the coyote program in order to help control this pest.

Response from Honourable Dustin Duncan, Minister of Environment:

We understand that a bounty on beavers is being developed by SARM.

Regulations under The Wildlife Act allow the hunting of beaver year round without a license in individual rural municipalities (RM). Interested RMs must supply the ministry with a bylaw requesting this designation and permissions will be granted immediately upon receipt.

We will continue to provide funding to remove beavers and beaver dams located on Crown resource lands when they cause flooding on adjacent private lands or affect municipal infrastructure. RMs wishing to remove obstruction in channels to resolve problems off Crown land, including beaver dam removal, may receive assistance from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority’s Channel Clearing program. The program is intended to deal with issues on creeks and channels obstructed by trees, brush, deadfall and other obstructions which cause flooding and erosion problems on roads and adjacent lands. The following are eligible for assistance: brush removal and disposal, obstruction removal and disposal, silt bar removal, and silt removal to originally constructed grade lines for ditches constructed under several different Acts or Regulations.

In 2010-2011, the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority (Authority) spent nearly $370,000 on the Channel Clearing Program. Heavy demand for this program in 2011-2012 is anticipated.