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Durand Road residents ask Randolph selectmen to act after beavers topple trees
Summary
At the Dec. 8 Selectmen meeting, Durand Road residents told town officials beavers have felled trees across several properties and built dams on the Moose River; residents asked the board to review options and the board committed to consider next steps but took no immediate action.
Durand Road residents told the Town of Randolph Board of Selectmen on Dec. 8 that beavers have caused repeated tree-felling and dam-building that is damaging private property and creating public‑interest concerns.
Steve Emerson appeared before the board representing five Durand Road residents — Carol Horton, John Berry, Sam Morneweck, the Nichols family and Jean Malick — and described trees felled on multiple properties, including what he said were trees downed on Jean Malick’s land and where John Berry’s parcel meets the Morneweck property near a freestanding solar array. Resident Judy Kenison told the board she has spent close to $1,000 hiring trappers to remove beavers from her property and raised alarm about numerous beaver dams on the Moose River and its tributaries.
The selectmen did not order an immediate remedy. Selectman Paul A. Jadis acknowledged the concerns and said the board would discuss and review options, but no staff assignment, timeline or directive to contract removal was recorded in the minutes.
Why it matters: residents described property damage and out‑of‑pocket costs, and they framed the situation as a public‑interest issue because of the dams and downstream effects on Moose River tributaries. At the meeting the board weighed wildlife impacts alongside other animals that can damage private property (deer, bears) and recorded intent to consider the matter further.
What’s next: the selectmen returned to the beaver issue later in the meeting and again took no formal action. The minutes record only that the board will review options; residents and property owners seeking relief should expect future discussions at a subsequent meeting or a staff follow‑up if the board assigns one.
