On February 27 a large coalition of nonprofit organizations, scientists, and advocates sent a letter to President Biden requesting an executive order prohibiting beaver from being trapped on federally managed public lands. According to Adam Bronstein with Western Watershed Project, one of the organizers behind this action, this executive order is necessary because beavers and — the habitats they create — sequester vast amounts of carbon, provide vital habitat for fish and wildlife, create natural firebreaks, filter drinking water, store water during drought and temper flooding events. Yet Beaver trapping is allowed in almost every state, and it will take federal action to uniformly protect this critical species.
On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Adam, along with Dr. Suzanne Fouty, hydrologist, soil specialist and geographer, the other instigator of this project, about why protecting beaver at a national level is so critical in so many ways.
Letter to Biden requesting executive order to halt beaver trapping on federal lands
- KBOO