SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Once considered a nuisance on the verge of extinction, California is looking to a resourceful rodent to help battle some of the impacts of climate change.
The state in June announced it's setting aside $3 million dollars to oversee beaver restoration projects. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife last week posted its first job listing for the new unit which will both help the beaver and protect against the impacts of climate change.
It's been a tough run recently for the animal following an effort to protect its habitats in the early 1900s.
"Since the 50s, they really have been just seen more as a nuisance," Kate Lundquist, Co-Director of the Water Institute at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, told KCBS Radio.
Despite a 2019 ban on fur trapping, beavers are still being killed throughout the state.
"People are frustrated with beaver and not figuring out how to coexist with them, even though we have all these techniques," Lundquist explained.
But amid climate change-fueled drought and wildfires, turns out the beaver may have some needed skills.
Beaver construct and live in dams, which preserve waterways, maintain wetlands, and serve as natural fire breaks.
While the beaver builds dams to protect themselves and support their vegetarian diets, their actions end up benefiting the entire environment.
"As wetlands persist, these incredible oases develop and become a hotspot," she said. The more wetlands there are, the more areas develop that are more resistant to fires.
The state's new project will reinforce beaver dams and build extra dams "to help give the beaver a leg up so they can persist over the stormy winter," Lundquist said.
"We're really excited and there are a lot of us that are working on this for well over a decade and we’ve got some great research now in California," she said.
Some areas have already embraced the little fur bears.
"There was a place with this tiny little creek that would not flow very deeply or strong and beavers were allowed to stay and build their dams and create wetlands there and expand," Lundquist explained. "Now they’ve increased the wetted areas by 1,800%."
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