WHEREAS trapping Leases are not being enforced or regulated; and

WHEREAS beavers are populating at such a rate that they are becoming impossible to control by municipalities along the forest fringe; and

WHEREAS municipalities are exhausting their resources, including money and labour, in the attempt to control the beaver population;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM work with the Province and other agencies, such as Conservation & Development Authorities, to discover a way to control and balance the beaver population in the forested areas of the province; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in controlling the beavers, young trappers be given the opportunity to participate.

Response from Honourable Lyle Stewart, Minister of Agriculture:

Our government recognizes the issues problem beavers are causing in the agricultural areas of the province, especially along the northern forest fringe. To help address these issues, the province has provided SARM with a grant of $500K/year for the past two years to help rural municipalities control problem beavers. The Ministry of Agriculture is committed to continuing to work with SARM and other agencies to identify alternative ways to control problem beavers.