Northern California town moves to head off another kind of bank failure

The first two beavers swam up from the delta in 2006 and began building lodges and dams in the creek that runs through downtown. Their construction work has caused some property owners along the creek to worry that all that burrowing will undermine their buildings and cause major damage. For Martinez, bank stabilization has nothing to do with a fiscal crisis.

After months of acrimonious debate, the city is gambling that it can shore up the creek-side buildings without driving away the beavers -- which have drawn thousands of tourists who never would have ventured to the industrial center. Workers could begin placing sheets of metal into the creek bank next to the beavers' lodge as early as today.

Beaver supporters, who have formed a group called Worth A Dam, fear that one or more of the animals could be crushed or trapped when the 25-foot-long sheet piles are driven into the ground. They also worry that the noise and vibration could drive away the animals, which now number eight.

"Any city that is smarter than a beaver ought to be able to keep beavers," said Heidi Perryman, president of Worth A Dam.

Martinez, a city of 37,000 located 35 miles northeast of San Francisco and founded during the gold rush, has long had a split personality. It boasts that it was the home of Muir, the great conservationist, for 24 years. But it is better known for the huge oil refinery established in 1915, the year after Muir died.

The beaver, North America's largest rodent, appears to be making a comeback in California and moving along waterways into urban areas. Last year, public opposition stopped Bakersfield from exterminating the "bike path beaver," which was chewing up trees along a bikeway. Elk Grove has killed dozens of beavers in recent years to protect trees and prevent flooding.

Martinez residents have been sharply divided over the beaver question and the city's handling of the issue has been messy.

Residents complain about closed-door City Council meetings, the city's refusal to release documents, the skirting of state environmental laws and Mayor Rob Schroder's possible conflict of interest.

The mayor acknowledged in an interview that he had participated in council discussions about the beavers before disclosing his potential conflict. An insurance salesman, the mayor insures downtown property that could be damaged in a flood. Schroder recused himself from the issue Oct. 1.

Schroder said he has asked the state Fair Political Practices Commission to help determine if he has a conflict of interest based on the value of his income from the property.

"I want to do the right thing," the mayor said.

Alhambra Creek, where the beavers have taken up residence, is known to overrun its banks during heavy rains and flood downtown. Officials say the collapse of one of Dunivan's two creek-side buildings during a storm could cause a major flood.

Dunivan has threatened to sue the city if it does not protect his property from the beavers. He did not return phone calls for comment.

Last year, the city obtained a permit to kill the beavers by shooting them in the head, but backed off after outraged residents protested.

In September, an expert hired by the city concluded that the beavers were causing damage by burrowing into the bank. Worth A Dam, which hired its own expert, disputes the finding.

Citing Dunivan's threatened lawsuit, the five-member City Council -- including the mayor -- discussed the matter behind closed doors last month, further angering beaver supporters, who allege that the sessions violated the state's open meeting law.

The council concluded that the beavers' burrowing constituted an emergency, thereby exempting the city from a state law that requires an environmental review before taking action.

Beaver backers went to court to block the creek-bank project, contending that the burrows do not threaten any buildings.