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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 7, 2020)
8 in other words may7 2020 A Word From the Watershed: Happy Beaver, Happy Watershed By Corrie Aiuto The beaver is a biodiversity en- gineer. Hoping to harness the power of this rodent to restore stream complex- ity and bolster habitat for Coho salmon, we at the Upper Nehalem Watershed Council (UNWC) are busy building and observing beaver playgrounds, other- wise known as Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs), and a new report released in April shows promising results. Beaver Basics The North American beaver, Castor canadensis, is a nocturnal, semiaquatic rodent with a dense fur coat, webbed hind feet, enormous or- ange incisors, and a flat paddle of a tail. They are the second largest rodent in the world, growing continually throughout their life, averaging 50 to 60 pounds and three to four feet in length. They are We Now Offer Roadside Clearing American Beaver, Wikimedia Commons graceful swimmers, sporting goggle eye- lids and a fur lining behind their teeth to seal out water. They can stay submerged for up to 15 minutes by slowing their heart rate, thereby avoiding predators MIKE PIHL LOGGING CO., INC and navigating to submerged dens and lodges. When they are not cutting down trees for construction they are chopping vegetation for food; despite stories of beaver eating fish, they are entirely herbivores. Males and females typically in- habit a space as a mated pair, often for life, and colonies include newest kits, which average four to a litter, and the one year old kits. Two year olds often leave the colony to build their own den. Together a colony will gather food, raise young, and studiously re- pair dams. So vigilant are they that removing a beaver dam is considered pointless, often being rebuilt over- night. Many of us are familiar with the image of the beaver: a plump body rest- ing on a river bank, front paws clutch- ing a leafy twig, a large, flat tail propped behind, and out of a small round head, beady eyes scrutinizing you through the thick, luscious brown fur that thou- sands of trappers so desired. Their fur is incredibly dense; a postage stamp size beaver fur has as many individual hairs as an entire human head. And surprising- ly soft to the touch; underneath a layer of long, coarse guard hairs you feel a downy under coat, simultaneously silky and fluffy. European hat makers felted the pelts, formed them into fashion, and made beaver fur a coveted and valuable commodity. The first fur trading in North America happened almost as soon as white people arrived, trading for furs with Native Americans in the 1500s, but major trapping and trade began in the 1600s. Throughout that century and the next, hundreds of millions of beaver were trapped and relieved of their coats. By the 1840s the species was nearly extinct. continued on page 9 JOBS IN THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY Production workers wanted for entry level sawmill positions Lumber is our business - since 1971 • Competitive wages and benefit package • Starting at $16/hr depending on experience • Must be able to pass drug screen • Must have current driver’s license mplogging@frontier.com 1984 mist drive po box 321 vernonia, or 97064 Apply in person at Olympic Forest Products 69480 Banzer Rd. Mist, OR 97016 Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:00 pm 503-429-1470 cell 503.789.1268 fax 503.429.0252 VNC 503-429-9333 Recreational & Medical Marijuana Dispensary Serving the Community Featuring: • Edibles • Concentrates • CBD Oils, Topicals, & Tinctures • Flower Grams & Pre-rolled Joints Vernonia’s Natural Choice Open 7 days 10am - 8pm 736 Bridge Street, Suite 1 Owned and Operated by Don & Kim Wallace DON WALLACE, PLS Professional Land Surveying 1224 E. Alder St. Vernonia, OR 97064 Phone: 503-429-6115 FAX: 1-866-297-1402 Email: DWallace_KLS@msn.com CORPORATE MEMBER