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NHFG official says beavers benefit ecosystems but require infrastructure management
Summary
Patrick Tate of NHFG told the Commission that beavers provide ecological benefits but can conflict with culverts and roads; the meeting reviewed trapping and removal data and noted maintenance needs for beaver-flow devices.
Patrick Tate, speaking for NHFG (New Hampshire Fish and Game), told the Commission that beavers offer substantial ecological benefits but can conflict with infrastructure such as culverts and roads. He identified culvert blockages as a primary concern and said properly installed beaver-flow devices require maintenance roughly once or twice per year.
Tate said the state's beaver population is regulated in part by trapping and market forces: trapping decreased after pelt prices fell. He told the Commission that roughly 900–1,300 beavers are removed by trappers each season and that wildlife-control operators remove about 1,600 annually; by contrast, removals in the 1980s were roughly 4,500–5,000 per year.
Commissioners noted that trapping is an allowed use in the conservation easement but that the town has not issued new permits in many years. Tate described modern trapping as regulated and enforced and emphasized historical and cultural roles for trapping while noting the need to manage conflicts with public infrastructure.
No regulatory action or permit changes were decided at the meeting; the Commission agreed to consider site visits and maintenance needs for culverts and pond areas that interact with trails and roads.
