Chasing, but not necessarily catching, beavers

The Sampson County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a new contract with two beaver trappers.  Ronnie Thompson and Stonewall Jackson Kelly will each be paid $2,000 a month over the winter for their services.

An interesting aspect of the contract, which caused some questions at the board meeting, is that it does not require either man to actually trap any beavers. That’s not the point, said the county manager. The “benchmark” is “how timely the trappers respond to calls for help from citizens with beaver problems,” not whether they trap them.