"I'm really proud of the transition we've made from laggard to leader on beavers," said Wade Crowfoot, California's secretary for natural resources. "While there's no silver bullet solutions to environmental restoration, beavers are a keystone species, and an important part of the puzzle to restore our ecosystems in California."
California environmental activists, biologists and Indian tribes have been advocating for beavers for more than two decades, launching an extensive education campaign that included having to convince authorities that beavers are a native species throughout the state.
The law gives the program, which implements beaver-assisted environmental projects, protection from state budget cuts and political upheaval, and it stands as a rebuke to the Supreme Court's devastating ruling in 2023 that removed up to 70% of the nation's waterways and wetlands from Clean Water Act protections.
Now the restoration effort will add to California's '30x30' goals - the national effort to set aside and protect 30% of U.S. lands and coastal waters by 2030.
#beaver-restoration #california-environment #wildlife-protection #ecological-management #legislation
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