California Embraces Beavers with Substantial Policy Changes

Kudos to the OAEC for championing the "Bring Back the Beaver" campaign at the California state level. Recently the California Department of Fish and Wildlife formally declared that the beaver is recognized as an ally in protecting the environment, which is a U-turn from the previous classification of essentially a nuisance animal that should be destroyed. Here is a recent post from the OAEC blog about the changes coming out of Sacramento:

https://oaec.org/big-wins-in-sacramento-for-the-bring-back-the-beaver-campaign/

We adopted Ben the Beaver as our mascot many years ago because we admire the beaver's utility as a keystone species, industriousness, and team spirit (beavers don't work alone). Later, we came across the book Eager, by Ben Goldfarb, which opened our eyes to the fascinating history of this animal and the impact it's had on our landscape. We came to know many of the "Beaver Believers" who advocate reintroducing beavers into the areas in which they used to thrive as a way to rehydrate landscapes and mitigate our susceptibility to floods, droughts, and wildfires. Right here in the SF Bay Area, we are fortunate to have Heidi Perryman as an unstoppable force of nature championing these initiatives and serving as a hub for information about beaver activities in California. Here are a few that we have been following:

California Beaver Projects

Photography credit: Rusty Cohn