Statewide Beaver Management Plans (SBMP): Pennsylvania (2011) and Utah (2017) have established comprehensive SBMP’s, Wisconsin (2015) has a SBMP focused mainly on beaver control, and Montana (2021) and Oregon (2023) have Beaver Action Plans. California enacted legislation in 2024 codifying the need to develop a comprehensive SBMP, and Colorado is currently developing a comprehensive SBMP.
Nuisance Regulations and Beaver Relocation: Most states have nuisance wildlife regulations that outline processes for responding to wildlife conflicts. In 2012, Washington amended regulations to authorize, with agreement from property owners, the trapping and relocating of beavers to appropriate areas.
Beaver Classifications and Trapping Regulations: Many states classify beavers as pests and allow for their unlimited trapping. In 2023, Oregon removed the classification of beavers as a “predatory animal”, authorized a permitting and reporting process for beaver trapping, and encouraged non-lethal beaver coexistence strategies.Funding for
Non-Lethal Coexistence: In 2023, California allocated $2 million for a grant process to promote beaver coexistence and non-lethal deterrents to beaver damage. Oregon and Minnesota recently introduced similar measures.
