Major declines in beaver populations and dams in the 18th and 19th centuries caused extraordinary damage to watershed ecosystems, including aquatic habitats. This damage has been compounded by a host of other anthropogenic impacts, including development and worsening climate conditions. Restoring beaver populations and habitats where appropriate, implementing mitigation strategies where conflict occurs, and mimicking dam-building activities can help address legacy impacts while providing a cascade of ecosystem benefits to prepare against future disturbance.
|
Overwhelming support exists among researchers, agencies, and restoration/conservation organizations to develop a social-ecological road map for promoting beaver and their dams. In response, the MWBP is leveraging that support through paired Technical Assistance (TA) and Stakeholder Engagement (SE) projects. The basins involved cover the ceded lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, as well as parts of Marion, Linn, Benton, Lincoln, and Polk counties. These regions are host to ESA-listed Chinook and winter steelhead and a wide array of beaver-dependent fish and wildlife species.
|