ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — There is a controversial move in the southtowns that aims to clear up a damming problem.
Earlier this month, the Orchard Park Town Board approved a motion to remove a nuisance beaver.
Back in May, 7 News told you about a similar dilemma along Tannery Brook in East Aurora, where a beaver dam was causing ice jam concerns.
We headed out to Orchard Park to see how folks in Town felt about the effort to get rid of the rodents.
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Birdsong Park Nature Trails gets people from all different walks of life - across its 1.5 miles of trails - which is a mix of boardwalks, grass and gravel paths.
Birdsong Park avid visitor, Colleen Jantzi said, "My dog and I, we come everyday on our daily walks to Birdsong. I also run here. It's part of my daily running route. Between the walking and running, we're here just about everyday."
However, it is not just runners and dog owners that share this space.
It is home to an abundance of wildlife but some are being deemed a nuisance by the Orchard Park Town Board.
"It has been determined that profound damage is being occurred to the Birdsong Park Nature Trails System, such as impassible walking paths and fallen trees and board walk deterioration caused by high water, overflowing pond, overflowing flooding," Orchard Park Town Councilperson, Scott Honer said in board meeting and work session on Oct. 4.
Jantzi said she and her dog make frequent visits to the park learned about the trap and kill order approved by the Orchard Park Town Board through this interview with 7 News, on Monday.
"We have never seen a beaver on this trail at all. I have never seen one either walking or running," Jantzi said. "It's a shame. I enjoy the trails both with my dog and my daily running routes, so having them here as part of the nature is really what Birdsong Park Nature Trails is all about."
The move has been met with outrage from people in the community.
A Change.org petition has also been made calling for a more humane method to address the beavers in Birdsong outside of killing them.
The goal is to have 500 signatures, and as you can see the petition is more than half of the way there.
Birdsong Park Nature Trails avid visitor, Salvatore Parlato said, "They seem to come back so I don't think it works. I don't consider them a nuisance. There's a beaver lodge and that houses numerous types of animals throughout the winters and the non-winters."
Salvatore Parlato said he often sees beavers running in the morning and believes they need to be left alone.
"They seem to come back so I don't think it works. I don't consider them a nuisance. There's a beaver lodge and that houses numerous types of animals throughout the winters and the non-winters," Parlato explained. "I think nature has its own way. The less we disturb nature the better."
7 News' Pheben Kassahun reached out to town officials for a comment. Here is what they had to say:
"The town board has tabled the issue for further review. The board takes wildlife and environmental matters seriously and we have hired a wildlife expert who will conduct an on-site assessment to determine the nature of the situation. Once we have an update and our options, we will ask the expert to develop a plan."
Scott Honer
Orchard Park Town Councilperson
