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Regular readers of this website know that I only break out the starwars award ceremony for very very special occasions. Like this morning. Because last night Gavin Newsome released his budget for next year and you will LITERALLY never guess what it has in it.
Budget Request Summary
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) requests 5.0 permanent positions and $1.67 million California Environmental License Plate Fund in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022–23, and $1.44 million in FY 2023–24 and ongoing to fund and support the implementation of a beaver restoration program within the Department.
NO WAY. NO FUCKING WAY. REALLY??? REALLY???
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) requests 5.0 permanent positions and $1.67 million California Environmental License Plate Fund in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022–23, and $1.44 million in FY 2023–24 and ongoing to fund and support the implementation of a beaver restoration program within the Department.
B. Background/History
The North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) is considered a "keystone species”. Beavers
used to live in almost every stream in North America (except in the deserts) with an estimated
population of 100-200 million. Human exploitation and nuisance eradication efforts dwindled
those populations to approximately 10-15 million beavers today. Beavers are known for their
ability to build dams and change waterways – but the ecosystem benefits provided to other
native species in the process may be less recognized. It might be odd, but beavers are an
untapped, creative climate solving hero that helps prevent the loss of biodiversity facing
California. In the intermountain West, wetlands, though they are present on just 2 percent of
total land area, support 80 percent of biodiversity. Further, beaver dams improve water quality
and control water downstream, repair eroded channels, reconnect streams to their floodplains, and the ponds and flooded areas create habitat for many plants and animals.
Beavers create habitat complexity, significantly increase biodiversity, and can provide
perennial flow to streams that would otherwise run dry. Through this process of ecosystem
engineering, beavers can expand wetland, riparian, and wet meadow habitats and increase
wildfire resiliency in areas with known beaver activity.
California native tribes, non-governmental organizations, private landowners, and state and
federal agencies have been working to partner and successfully implement beaver
restoration projects throughout California. The Department is actively involved in activities that
are responsive to beaver management and reported human-beaver conflict, such as
property damage. This proposal supports the Department’s need for additional staffing to truly
support and manage this native keystone species through the implementation of nature-
based solutions. To be successful in our efforts to protect biodiversity, the Department must
take a proactive leap towards bringing beavers back onto the landscape through a
concerted effort to combine prioritized restoration projects, partnerships with local, federal,
and state agencies and tribes, and updated policies and practices that support beaver
management and conservation throughout the State.
The gap in needed Department staffing to support Species and Habitat Conservation has
been documented through the Department’s Service Based Budgeting (SBB) process
indicating a 73% mission level gap, which is the Department highest need. These additional
resources to support beaver restoration in California will help close this service level gap
I can’t feel my toes. Can you? I think the floor suddenly got very far away. I might be flying. Or sinking. Or floating.
evaluate and report on, the service standards designed to meet its mission, cost estimates and
staffing requirements to meet its mission, and a comparison of the mission level needs against
existing staffing. SBB findings have identified that current staffing is sufficient to accomplish
approximately 35% across mission level needs. Species and Habitat Conservation show the
greatest need with a 73% gap in meeting the Department’s mission level.
D. Justification
Beavers are remarkable at creating more resilient ecosystems – and therefore thinking through
approaches to maximize their unique skills throughout California will benefit our landscapes
and help drive more cost-efficient restoration. The Department is actively involved in activities
that are responsive to beaver management and reported human-beaver conflict, such as
property damage. However, the Department is not well staffed or structured to truly support
and manage this species as a successful contributor to our efforts to protect biodiversity and
increase wildfire resiliency through implementing nature-based solutions. This proposal will
develop dedicated staffing resources to revise beaver policies and guidelines, coordinate
restoration efforts, proactively mitigate human-beaver conflict, and work towards relocating
beavers into watersheds through consultation with local partners, state and federal agencies,
tribes, and non-governmental organizations. Specifically, this program will support and help
maintain:
- A comprehensive approach to beaver management in California
Native California tribes in their efforts to restore culturally significant beavers to their
ancestral homelands and other lands they manage
Demonstrate the importance of beaver relocation and climate smart restoration
Beneficial habitat as refugia to drought, wildfire, and climate change
Increased abundance of ecologically and significant plants and wildlife species
Improve water quality and prolong flow during dry seasons
An integrated “toolkit” of resources and proven effective exclusion methods for
deployment to mitigate human-beaver conflict, prevent damage due to beaver
activity, and foster co-existence
Create a pathway to utilize beaver relocation in watersheds where beavers have been
extirpated or co-existence strategies have been exhausted
Beaver habitat suitability models to reduce the risk of human conflict and to sustain
long-term beaver occupancy
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Ohhhh sure, Just do EVERYTHING I WANT and act like it’s nothing. Just give me every single thing I’ve been fighting for for 15 years and dust your hands off like it doesn’t mean a thing, Okay. I’ll take it.
Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Nobody breathe for a minute.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Department recommends approval of Alternative 1: Approve 5.0 permanent positions
and $1.67 million California Environmental License Plate Fund in FY 2022–23, and $1.44 million in FY 2023–24 and ongoing to fund and support the implementation a beaver restoration
program within the Department
OHHH MYYYYY. OHHHH MYYYYYY. OHHHH MYYYY.
Just remember that when Gavin Newsome was running for governor he held a fund raiser attended by our mayor and shook his hand saying “I see those beavers on channel 2 Every night!!!”
