Supporting beaverS and native wildlife habitat
on Oregon high desert landscapes
Beavers, a keystone species, were nearly eradicated from Eastern Oregon by 1900. Their absence resulted in the loss of natural processes which provided resilience in riparian ecosystems. The loss of resilience left these ecosystems extremely vulnerable to degradation by changes in land use that occurred during settlement.
While more modern land uses and management regimes in place since the initial degradation occurred may be less intense, they are often just enough, in the absence of the resilience-generating processes, to prevent the recovery of processes which could restore resilience and ultimately beaver. With the addition of climate change as a stressor, riparian areas which may have eventually achieved a recent, degraded, and undesirable level of equilibrium are now likely on a downward trend again.
(Read on The Hudson Bay Company’s Fur Desert Policy, by Jennifer Ott.)
The Goal
Support beavers and the required components and processes that 1) sustain them and 2) allow them to function as keystone species. Prioritize these efforts in areas of their former range where they will have the largest impact on climate resiliency.
In short, remove human obstacles to beaver success.
Beaver Works Oregon makes this happen through these Focus Areas:
PROMOTING AND ESTABLISHING SUCCESSFUL BEAVER HABITAT
Beaver Works supports landholders and watershed organizations to prioritize restoration efforts, and the conditions necessary for beavers to be successful on the landscape.
SUPPORTING WORKING LAND STEWARDS ON WAYS TO SUCCESSFULLY SHARE SPACE WITH BEAVERS
Recognizing that beaver habitat sometimes coincides inconveniently (and expensively) with human habitat, Beaver Works provides a beaver response team to advise landholders on practical, proven techniques and resources to address challenges (ex. damaged trees, flooding, blocked irrigation ditches or culverts, etc.) that may arise when sharing space with beavers.
For those looking for learn more on how beavers change the landscape, check out Natural Beaver Recovery.
BUILDING AWARENESS OF BEAVERS AS AN ESSENTIAL KEYSTONE SPECIES
Beaver Works helps Oregonians to understand the benefits of beavers on the landscape as a keystone species – expanding the biological, ecological and historical narrative around Oregon’s state animal. We help citizens understand and embrace enthusiastically that beavers can have an important, positive influence on the health of watersheds and our ecosystems.
