This is great news for our watersheds! Not only has Governor Newsom submitted a Beaver Restoration Program, but it is a program proposed to be run by CDFW, the very folks who issue depredation permits for beavers.
Read some of these excerpts from his proposal:
“To be successful in our efforts to protect biodiversity, the Department must take a proactive leap towards bringing beavers back onto the landscape through a concerted effort to combine prioritized restoration projects, partnerships with local, federal, and state agencies and tribes, and updated policies and practices that support beaver management and conservation throughout the State. “
“Beavers are known for their ability to build dams and change waterways – but the ecosystem benefits provided to other native species in the process may be less recognized. It might be odd, but beavers are an untapped, creative climate solving hero that helps prevent the loss of biodiversity facing California.”
Now, the Governor proposes expenditures to the legislature, and the legislature weighs in and will hold hearings for the next month. Both houses of the legislature must vote to formally adopt the final budget by midnight on June 15.
Stay tuned, and let’s keep making noise to ensure that the Beaver Restoration Program gets included in the final budget!
You can read the full proposal here