Control Operator to remove the animals . Translocating beavers in MD , though discouraged , is legal . The difficulty lies in finding a suitable location to release them . Appropriate beaver habitat is often already occupied by beavers , and if it isn ’ t , it ’ s usually because people are unable to coexist with them . So releasing relocated beavers may very well lead to their deaths , either because they are unable to find suitable , available territory and are easy prey , or because they won ’ t be tolerated by the new landowners . It may take a system that somehow incentivizes people to allow beaver dams and the messy , rich wetlands they create . More immediately , since waterfowl are among the species that are attracted to beaver ponds , property owners can earn significant rent by leasing to waterfowl hunters .
There are even grander beaver benefits if people can be convinced to accept them . In pre-contact times , beaver dams were responsible for preventing uncounted tons of sediment from reaching the Chesapeake Bay . And in today ’ s world , there ’ s scientific evidence that this action significantly reduces nitrogen and phosphorus incursion into the Bay . Since magic wands can be hard to come by , we ’ ll have to hope that education can help people appreciate just how much beavers can benefit our beloved Bay .
Ellen Gordon is a long-time environmental activist working to promote regenerative agriculture to improve food security and carbon sequestration . She chooses the outdoors whenever she can — in the field and woods , the ocean , the mountains and her yard .
The
Agricultural Reserve ~ A Place with Purpose
Each year our family joins in the annual It ’ s a Wonderful Life viewing , and , once again , I think about how truly remarkable and unique Montgomery County ’ s Agricultural Reserve is ... and how fragile . Remember the film ’ s gripping scene with the run on the local bank and George Bailey spots a crowd of frightened shareholders descending on the family ’ s Building & Loan ? His earnest explanation of the benefits that the Building & Loan provided , both individually and collectively , brought all but one banking customer — one who still demanded his entire $ 242 — to understand that there was a imperative to sustain the institution . They each took only what they truly needed without crushing the Building & Loan .
So it is , as I see it , with the Ag Reserve . We could easily wring every last dime out of the land for the benefit of a few at the expense of the many ... sure we could .
And we could do so after expending millions of public and private dollars on preservation easements and countless hours establishing , supporting , and defending land for farming and open space preservation . We could deplete the Reserve by turning a blind eye to important preservation goals for open space and natural and historic resources . But much like the community service provided by Bailey Bros . Building & Loan , the Reserve pays dividends in clean air , water quality , open space , food and fiber — the list goes on . The survival of farming and the Reserve is a commonly shared goal , and we have all invested so much in it .
How do we arrive at a consensus as to the best means to keeping the land in farming and protecting open space and natural resources in the face of myriad challenges and pressures ? Meeting this challenge is precisely what we do at Montgomery Countryside Alliance each day .
Since 2001 , MCA has been the organization on the ground protecting the quality of our farms , open space and water supply . Our collaborative and tenacious approach has lead us to be called “ one of the best ” nonprofits in the region . Your tax deductible investment in our community stays here but goes far to ensure a future for local farms .
Peace of the fall and winter seasons to you and yours ,
Caroline Taylor , Executive Director Montgomery Countryside Alliance MocoAlliance . org