Beaver bill heading to governor’s desk

SALEM, OR – When beavers dig canals and build dams they create wetlands that filter toxins, recharge groundwater, and generate habitat for fish and wildlife. Under House Bill 3932, passed in the Oregon Senate today, beavers have a better chance to do this important work on state and federal lands, especially where streams and rivers need improvement.
“If we started from scratch to create a resource to improve water quality and quantity on our impaired streams, we couldn’t do better than beavers” said Senator Jeff Golden (D – Ashland). “This bill puts them to work for us with the barest impact on Oregon trappers.”
The measure prohibits trapping or removing beavers from public lands where the waterways have been officially classified as “impaired,” having problems like too much sediment, low oxygen, or water temperature that’s too high. Today, over 100,000 miles of Oregon waterways qualify as impaired.
“We call this the beaver state for a reason. Beavers help stabilize ecosystems, improve water quality, and build natural resilience against the climate impacts we’re already facing,” said Senator Courtney Neron Misslin (D – Wilsonville, Tigard, Sherwood & King City).
House Bill 3932 does not change existing laws that permit trapping or removing beavers on private land. A 2024 report showed only 4 percent of beaver harvesting happens on impaired waterways on public lands. The measure requires the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to publish a map showing the waterways where the new beaver protections will apply.
“Scientific research has shown us this strategy can work,” said Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), chief sponsor of the bill in the Oregon House of Representatives. “It’s a low-tech, low-risk strategy we are wise to embrace.”
House Bill 3932 passed the Senate in a vote of 17 to 11 and now goes to Governor Tina Kotek for her signature.