Beaver 'problem' must be rightly addressed

To the Editor Seacoast Online:

I am both outraged and saddened by Saturday's front page story about the brutal trapping of beavers at Pease. The sensational photo was jarring, but may make people wake up to what is going on. I just can't accept the murder of innocent wildlife — who are just doing what they were meant to do (i.e. build dams) — on behalf of a flooded golf course!

Shame on New Hampshire Fish and Game and the heartless trapper Shawn Laughlin, who was paid to kill these industrious animals, and with his two 10-year-old sons in tow, no less! I challenge David Mullen of the PDA saying this is the only way to deal with the problem (no Havahart traps for him). We as a community need to address how we can live with wildlife in this dwindling natural habitat that we humans have created to fill our needs (such as golf courses? oh, please!).

New Hampshire Fish and Game should find a humane and civilized way to remove beavers from problem "areas" and place them in another appropriate habitat when necessary, or to work to coexist with them in future development, both at Pease and elsewhere.

Susan Kress Hamilton
Kittery Point, Maine

YOU read this week by SNHU Intern: Allison Arbo