Beaver restoration program brings furry species back to habitats, tribal land across California

One of the three beaver kits swims in its new home in Maidu waters in Plumas County, California on Oct. 18, 2023. This beaver now resides in Tásmam Koyóm, a Plumas County tribal community, as a part of California’s beaver restoration efforts. TRAVIS VANZANT California Department of Fish and Wildlife

California has strengthened a new Beaver Restoration Program which is dedicated to supporting the species and their habitats.

With the passing of Assembly Bill 2196, the program has partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The initiative works with California tribal nations, private landowners and non-government organizations on implementing coexistence and beaver-assisted restoration projects to the state’s wildlife habitats. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB2196 into law in September.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, said the law will now codified the program’s efforts.

“Beavers are an instrumental keystone species to our ecosystems, and they play a vital role in maintaining the habitats around them for the benefit of other species,” said Connolly in a news release. “The initiative to restore beavers back into their original wildlife habitats is beneficial to species recovery, improving habitat complexity, and enhancing watershed restoration through dam complexes.”

Brock Dolman, the co-founder of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, has been working on beaver restoration since the late 2000s, he said. The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center has been at the forefront of the beaver restoration program, to center a co-existence mindset with the species.

Beavers have sometimes been seen as a nuisance or pest, Dolman said. In reality, beavers are beneficial to the environment. They help keep up maintenance to California rivers, wetlands and mountain meadows, and slow down water from spreading and sinking in with their dams and canals. As a result, their presence helps address issues with flooding and droughts.

“What’s equally important is […]

Full article: www.sacbee.com