(S.C.) 'Send them to beaver heaven': Horry County considers 'open season' on beavers to save money [View all]

Because Horry County is so flat, residents know that heavy rains can cause significant flooding as the storm water meanders its way through creeks, swamps and rivers, and eventually into the ocean. Along the way, beaver dams can make that flooding worse.

Whether blocking a creek, a storm drain or part of a swamp, beaver dams in Horry County — spurred in part by numerous trees felled by recent hurricanes — now cause significant flooding and incur a significant cost to the county government.

As County Council members debate next year’s budget, some have come up with a novel solution, one that would both solve the beaver problem, and save the county some money along the way: They’ll put a bounty on beavers, allowing local hunters to kill as many as they want, and get paid per beaver.

“Why do we not just put a bounty on beavers and turn Horry County’s hunters loose? And say, ‘If you go out there and find a beaver, send it to beaver heaven and bring us the pelt,’” County Council member Johnny Vaught suggested at the county’s spring budget retreat Thursday. Currently, the county maintains a contract with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to kill beavers that cause problems.

https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/politics-government/article250697914.html