POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa (KMTV) — According to a press release from Pottawattamie County, the Board of Supervisors approved the Beaver Bounty Program. This means people who trap the toothy, dam-building rodent for their pelts can be paid $25 per beaver.
The program aims to reduce the damage that beavers cause to local infrastructure.
“Beavers can place a lot of stress on many areas of our infrastructure, with dams preventing water to flow to designated areas,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Brian Shea, in a statement. “Pottawattamie County is responsible for maintaining many roadways and drainage ditches in our area, and some of these dams can end up causing a lot of damage, costing our county a considerable amount of money to repair. We hope this program helps in minimizing the possibility of that happening.”
The county also said in its press release: Participants will be required to complete a claim form detailing the location and date of harvest and, if applicable, landowner permission to trap on the landowner’s property. Participants will also need to complete a W9, allowing Pottawattamie County to issue payment. Once a participant has the beaver harvested, and all forms completed, the participant must contact a Park Officer at Arrowhead, Botna Bend, or Hitchcock Nature Center. Staff will confirm the harvest, send the forms to Accounts Payable, and a check will be issued to the participant.
Pottawattamie County has budgeted a total of $5000 for the program. Once the $5,000 is expended there will be no more payments issued for the season.
For more information: PottConservation.com/parks
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