Experiencing some of the most severe drought conditions in modern times, New Mexico, Utah and Oregon have recognized the Beaver as an animal that can help protect water supplies by it's dam building...............The ponds that are created by the Beaver allow water to slowly soak into the ground rather than running off quickly into rivers and streams................Our Beaver was our most valuable furbearer in the 17th Century, prized for it's fur for felt hats.................Arguably valued today for a much more important societal need--water supply enhancement

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Beaver Restoration  Plan Could Help Climate  Adaptation Our climate hero, the American beaver,  will be getting its own management  plan in New Mexico after the state  senate passed a memorial recognizing  the busy rodent’s value to water  supplies and ecosystems—especially  in times of drought. The beaver memorial acknowledges  that the dams, ponds and associated  wetlands created by beaver are known  to increase groundwater percolation,  which raises local groundwater tables  and increases water storage.  The  memorial also recognizes the critical  role that ecosystem restoration could  play in protecting and recovering  many imperiled species. WildEarth Guardians worked with  state lawmakers to draft the  memorial and shepherd it through  the state legislature. The memorial  directs the state wildlife agency  and other relevant agencies to report  back to the legislature by September  1st on an approach for how best to  develop the beaver management plan. Only Oregon and Utah have  statewide beaver management  plans, both of which recognize  the climate adaptation benefits  beaver can offer. A WildEarth Guardians statewide  assessment found beaver populations  are dangerously low on public lands  in New Mexico. Over 80% of streams  on public lands could support the  dam-building ecosystem engineer.  And yet recent surveys have found  few active beaver in streams and  rivers on national forests in the state.  Now the hard work begins of  coordinating a multi-agency and  stakeholder process to develop  the management plan that benefits  beaver and New Mexico’s headwaters.  WildEarth Guardians will continue to  lead the reestablishment of  functional beaver populations on  public lands across the state. This is a big victory for beaver  and ecosystems in the West and  we hope you will join us and  support this critical ecosystem  restoration and climate adaptation  work. For the Wild, Bryan Bird Wild Places Program Director WildEarth Guardians bbird@wildearthguardians.org