Show beavers labor for uncle sam in building dams in western states worth of labor done by paddle tails at cost of 8 tests reveal washington beavers soon will be building dams for the federal era government in oregon washington e nevada utah and wyo wyoming ming the paddle tailed animals have been bearl employed on dam construction work for two years in idaho each of beavers according to secretary of the interior harold L ickes performed worth of labor that cost the government only 8 the beavers were trapped in areas that could be harmed by their instinctive dam building and freed in streams that were to be dammed they immediately began spanning the streams with dams of wood and mud these dams ickes reported prevented excessive silting and erosion A N it k 4 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 40 0 4 k these beavers are being drafted to work in uncle sams conservation program the work was so effective and inexpensive the government will ex tend its activities large scale operations ickes said will reduce from 8 to 5 the cost of catching and transporting each I 1 beaver original plans for employing the beavers were devised several years ago I 1 according to a report submitted by b y the division of grazing at boise idaho in the early days of the northwest the report said beavers were plentiful and their pelts formed one of the greatest sources of revenue for the indians and early day settlers beaver colonies transported after the streams were trapped out the streams had nothing to check the silt in the spring runoff consequently gullies were washed through the surrounding meadows and drained the water reserve table lower As a result of this and also overgrazing on the surrounding hills the once productive meadows became dry barren and more or less waste land A few years ago the idea was conceived to attempt to transplant a few colonies of beavers in one of our most eroded streams we carried them in for miles by hand to get them started in a few years y ears they have performed almost a miracle |