Beaver Conflict Resolution Program

 Beavers bring huge ecological benefits to landscapes. Their dams store water, recharge aquifers, attenuate floods, and, by slowing down the flow rates of rivers and streams, reduce erosion. Beaver ponds create prime habitat for fish, birds, amphibians, and mammals, increase water quality, and can slow fast-moving wildfires. As the climate in southwest Montana gets hotter and drier, these benefits are more important than ever.

However, when their industrious activities are at odds with landowners, beavers can become a nuisance. Dammed culverts, washed-out roads, flooded fields, and downed trees can be dangerous and costly to repair. Conflicts are often managed through lethal removal of beavers, which is frequently a temporary solution as beavers quickly recolonize unoccupied habitat. Non-lethal methods can provide landowners with a longer-term solution and are a valuable tool in the toolbox where lethal removal is not logistical or desired.

The Beaver Conflict Resolution Program will provide a range of non-lethal tools and techniques to help landowners, land managers, and communities effectively manage conflicts with beavers, while also promoting tolerance for coexistence and the ecological benefits of beaver activity. The program will offer technical assistance and materials cost-share for non-lethal beaver conflict solutions that benefit both landowners and wildlife, such as tree wrapping, culvert fencing, and pond levelers.

The beaver conflict resolution program in southwest Montana is sponsored by the following organizations: