Oregon bill seeks to continue support for beavers
In 2023, Oregon took a significant step in water quality protection, climate and wildfire resistance, and wildlife management by passing House Bill 3464, the "Beaver Believer Bill." This legislation sponsored by Representative Pam Marsh removed beavers from the state's "predator" list, requiring landowners to consult with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) on plans that might include lethal control, and fundamentally changed how these animals are managed on private land. This was a crucial move for the protection of beavers, a keystone species vital to the health of waterways. Before this bill, beavers could be killed with little oversight or regulation.
Building on this progress, Rep. Pam Marsh introduced a bill in 2024 to establish the "Landowners Living with Beaver Grant Program Fund" within ODFW. This fund would have provided financial support to private landowners for implementing beaver coexistence strategies. Although the bill did not pass in 2024, it highlighted the need for resources to help landowners shift away from historical management practices, especially after HB 3464 transferred beaver management on private lands from the OR Department of Agriculture to ODFW.
Rep. Marsh reintroduced the bill in 2025 as HB 3143. Now with bipartisan support, including chief sponsorship from Republican Representative Mark Owens, and backing from diverse organizations ranging from Farm Bureau to the Defenders of Wildlife, the “Landowners Living with Beaver Grant Program Fund" bill is now gaining traction in the legislature. As in the prior legislation, this bill would allocate $1.5 million from the General Fund to the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund, authorizing ODFW to distribute grants for beaver coexistence efforts. This funding would support cost-effective habitat improvement and restoration work, recognizing that beavers are natural engineers that can enhance riparian habitats, wetlands, and floodplains more efficiently and economically than human intervention.
Benefits of beaver dams. Credit: Vox
Organizations like Rogue Riverkeeper and KS Wild strongly support HB 3143 and are hopeful for its passage. The bill has received unanimous bipartisan support in committee, indicating a positive outlook. While federal environmental policy remains uncertain, Oregon continues to make progress toward a sustainable future, with bipartisan efforts recognizing the critical role of beavers in the state's ecosystems.
See Rogue Riverkeeper’s testimony letter on this bill here. You can read a RV Times article on this bill here.
