Letters to the Editor: Replenishing our ecosystem, one beaver at a time

To the editor: Finally common sense is replacing former ignorance and aggressive material acquisition, as it is evident that returning beavers to areas where they once flourished has greatly assisted in maintaining the healthy ecosystem of the land. As our human-driven climate crisis is bringing us unwanted drought, it is essential that we do all we can to prevent its recurrence.

To do so we need to remember how this was alleviated in our past, and one of the major components was having beavers do what their nature dictates, which is to build dams and restore wet areas. Having nearly decimated this useful species in our distant past, we are coming to value their unique ability to create landscapes that preserve desperately needed water supply.

These creatures are invaluable and were already appreciated by members of Native American tribes who long bemoaned their grave loss to European commercial enterprise. Now, as we face the ravages of fire and drought, glimmers of that appreciation are taking place in the form of beaver reintroductions. Though much belated, this is splendid news for these invaluable creatures, other wildlife and habitat, tribes of the Sierra and California in general.

Elaine Livesey-Fassel, Los Angeles