GUEST COLUMN Regulated trapping is key to wildlife conservation

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BY BREHAN FURFEY

Wildlife conservation is complicated.

In Vermont, that complexity is front and center in recent conversations around regulated trapping. Although this topic deserves Vermonters’ careful consideration, I worry that some are losing sight of the conservation benefits that regulated trapping provides.

I am Vermont’s new state furbearer biologist. I earned my master’s degree in biology at Arkansas State University, and I have worked on complex conservation issues across the country, most recently with wolves in Oregon. In each case, I have seen knee-jerk reactions overshadow the nuances of effective conservation, often to the detriment of wildlife. I see the same trend playing out here, as Vermonters argue about trapping without seeing the full picture.

Even if it seems counterintuitive, regulated trapping is a critical wildlife management tool that benefits furbearer populations.

Vermont is at the cutting edge of furbearer conservation. Species like bobcat, mink and Eastern coyote thrive on this landscape, and populations of every species that is trapped in our state are healthy and abundant. Vermont owes much of that conservation success to data collected during our regulated trapping seasons.

Vermont’s trappers are part of a community science system. Samples from our regulated trapping seasons contribute to one of the country’s longest running datasets on furbearers, helping state biologists identify potential threats to both wildlife and humans. We analyze tissue from fishers and bobcats for potential exposure to rodenticides. We track rabies distribution to measure spread on the landscape and evaluate the success of ongoing control efforts with our partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And our collaborators at the University of Vermont use genetic samples from fisher, bobcat, coyote and fox to map furbearer movements across the landscape and to look at the spread of Covid in wildlife populations.

As we consider the role of regu- lated trapping in Vermont, it is important to understand that there is no alternative way to gather these valuable samples for research and monitoring.

Wildlife cameras cannot collect tissue. And furbearers trapped by professionals for damage or nuisance reasons would not provide a highway departments faced bills from $4,000 to $21,000 per year from 1998-2002 to deal with human/beaver conflicts. Individual landowners paid upwards of $300 per beaver to have them trapped by nuisance animal control contractors. In many cases, animals trapped as nuisances were not used for fur or food. large or diverse sample compared to that generated during our regulated trapping seasons. Without regulated trapping, state biologists and our conservation partners would lose our ability to gather sex, age and distribution data that are essential for monitoring species like bobcats and otters. We would also lose the ability to detect and respond to emerging wildlife diseases, environmental toxins and habitat loss.

Of course, Vermonters need to weigh the scientific and social benefits of regulated trapping against understandable concerns about the safety of pets and the suffering of trapped animals.

Regulated trapping provides social benefits, too. Many of Vermont’s wildlife conflicts are addressed during our regulated trapping seasons. The animals taken are utilized for food and fur. The costs, labor and rewards of coexisting on a landscape with furbearers are shared by our neighbors.

So, what could it look like for Vermont communities if regulated trapping was outlawed, and nuisance control trapping was outsourced to businesses?

When regulated trapping was banned in Massachusetts in 1996, the beaver population doubled. Public support for beaver and the valuable wetlands they create declined. The cost for dealing with human/beaver conflicts increased dramatically. Towns and

Recognizing this, the Fish and Wildlife Department is developing new trapping regulations at the direction of the Legislature. In 2022, we worked with a diverse group of stakeholders and drew from peer-reviewed research to identify ways to make trapping safer and more humane. This spring, we will invite public comment on proposed regulations to limit legal trap types in Vermont to the most humane standards based on peer-reviewed research; protect birds of prey and pets from being attracted to baited traps; and create a 25-50 foot safety buffer between public roads, trails on most state lands, and the places where most traps can be set.

Once finalized, these regulations should go into effect in 2024.

We believe that stronger regulations to reduce risks are in line with public opinion. Sixty percent of Vermonters supported regulated trapping in a statistically representative statewide survey last fall. And although Vermonters’ opinions vary regarding different reasons people may trap, 60 percent also supported the right of others to trap regardless of their personal approval of trapping.

As Vermonters consider regulated trapping’s role on our landscape, it is crucial to understand the complexity of the conservation challenges at hand, and the practical solutions the Fish and Wildlife Department is working toward.

Letters To The Editor

Tears for trees

I am wondering where all the protesters, environmentalists, climate activists and opposition from our community is to the taking down of so many of our community’s trees — specifically along Interstate 89 and Williston Road in Williston. It is a tragedy and an outrage, in my opinion.

It was raining.

The trees were crying. They tore you, hacked you with machetes and axes and saws, stripped you, degraded you, broke you, destroyed you. Could you feel fear and pain as they took you down?

The roads were so much prettier before they killed you. And the birds were so much happier.

Why would they take a natural, wonderful, pure and glorious landscape and make it ugly. Who did this?

And why did we let them. Trees, you were too beautiful for this earth. You were too beautiful for this hell on earth. It was raining.

The trees were crying.

Kimberly Madura Williston

Girl Scout gratitude

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains wants every person who volunteers for us to know that we appreciate them.

We have more than 4,000 volunteers across New Hampshire and Vermont who give generously of their time and talent to ensure that Girl Scouts are encouraged to become young women of courage, confidence and character who work to make the world a better place. They are troop leaders, troop help -

Edelweiss

continued from page 3 ers and drivers, and Girl Scout Cookie program coordinators and accountants.

We are grateful to the new troop leaders who stepped up in the last year to form new troops and create amazing opportunities for their Girl Scouts to make new friends, try new things and explore a world of possibilities.

We could not provide the world’s best leadership program for girls without the many people who run our activities, take Girl Scouts new places and share their skills in fields like engineering, computers, the outdoors, entrepreneurship and more.

We know that volunteers wear many hats when they give of themselves to Girl Scouts. No matter which hat you’re rocking, volunteers, we thank you for stepping in and stepping up for Girl Scouts everywhere.

Patricia K. Mellor CEO, Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains

back, snapped into our bindings and then navigated along a downhill ski-orienteering course to the hand grenade throwing event.

As we ascended the final hill up toward Camp Lizum, the ski track leveled off and transitioned onto a snow-covered road. The stone buildings of Camp Lizum peeked out above a rise ahead of us and begged the competitors to dig deep for the final push toward the finish line.

The last 600 meters of the race course had a 10X multiplier on the time, which forced the teams to sprint through the finish with all their reserves. VIPs and Austrian leadership were formed up at the finish line and began clapping for us as we appeared on the road leading into the camp. Our team of eight mountain soldiers crossed the finish line exhausted and delirious from two days of maximal output.

Teams from the U.S., Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland and China, among others, participated in the Edelweiss Raid.

The 2023 Edelweiss Raid was closed out with an award ceremony where the participants were awarded the coveted Edelweiss device, signifying accession into a small group of the world’s most elite mountain soldiers. Out of 22 international teams, Team USA’s competition team placed 10th and the development team placed 18th.