Ocean Shores planning commissioners weigh changing long-standing ban on trapping after property damage complaints

Ocean Shores Planning Commission members and residents spent the bulk of their March 11 meeting discussing whether to revise a decades-old city ordinance that bans trapping within city limits after several homeowners reported beaver-related property damage.

The commission heard that the current municipal code — originally adopted in 1976 — states the city’s “policy is city to prohibit trapping of any nature whatsoever within the city limits.” Commissioner Dan Bricker said he and staff reviewed Washington statutes and identified RCW language they believe allows trapping where wildlife threatens “human safety or causing property damage.” Bricker said he recommended striking the word “whatsoever” and adding an exception for those circumstances.

Why it matters: Residents described repeated damage to docks, trees and other shoreline property and said the city’s ban has limited options for humane removal. Commissioners said the council will need evidence of frequency and severity of incidents before amending the code; several suggested collecting reports and photos and asking the Department of Fish and Wildlife for guidance.

Commissioners and staff described historical practice in Ocean Shores in which public works staff relocated nuisance beavers. Marshall (public works staff) said the city previously ran a “very robust beaver trapping and relocating program” for decades and that relocations ceased after personnel and procedural changes. Bricker and other commissioners said the city once relied on live traps and relocations rather than lethal methods.

Residents provided examples and photos. One resident who identified herself as a neighbor of affected properties said she contacted state offices three years ago and was told the state would not intervene inside Ocean Shores because of the local ordinance; she later removed planters and other vegetation after repeated damage. Commissioners and staff noted that many incidents likely go unreported and that gathering incident counts will be necessary before recommending a code change to the City Council.

Commissioners discussed options including: (1) revising the local ordinance to mirror state RCW language that permits intervention when wildlife threatens safety or property, (2) explicitly authorizing live trapping and relocation performed by qualified personnel or by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and (3) clarifying who may legally trap (city staff, licensed contractors, or state personnel).

Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to compile historical relocation records, gather reports and photos from affected homeowners, and consider a community outreach post (for example, on local Facebook groups) to solicit additional evidence. Several commissioners suggested inviting a Department of Fish and Wildlife representative to present options and safety guidance at a future meeting.

The commission did not vote on a code change at the March 11 meeting; members agreed to gather data and return with a formal proposal to send to the City Council if warranted.

Residents and commissioners framed the issue as one of nuisance control and public-safety risk rather than a wildlife policy debate. At several points commissioners emphasized the need to define “property damage” in any proposed language to reduce ambiguity.