Kitsap County approves $3.64 million wildlife management contract; relocation remains preferred but unavailable

KITSAP COUNTY — The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 approved a $3,636,227 contract with USDA for wildlife management services to provide licensed trappers and related work should the county move to mitigation that could include removal of beavers from county parks.

Parks presenter Irene (last name not provided), who summarized the department's beaver-management approach, said relocation is the preferred outcome but that relocation requires two things the county currently lacks: a beaver husbandry facility and permanent relocation sites vetted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). "Currently, within Kitsap County, we don't have access to a beaver husbandry facility, nor do we have any permanent relocation sites," Irene said. She described the county's decision framework as avoid, minimize, mitigate — with removal considered only as a last resort when public infrastructure or safety is at risk.

Why it matters: Beavers alter habitat in ways that benefit other wildlife but can also overwhelm…