June 10, 2024
Submitted via email
Re: HB 3464
Chair Wahl and Members of the Commission,
Tualatin Riverkeepers (TRK) is a community-based organization that protects and restores the Tualatin River watershed. We build watershed stewardship through engagement, advocacy, restoration, access, and education. A significant focus of our organization is to ensure climate resiliency in our watershed. Wetlands are one of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change and pollution impacts, providing flood and drought control, carbon sinks, and natural habitats for fish and wildlife. Beavers play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, in part by creating wetlands through damming channels and slowing water flows.
We support ODFW’s modifications of existing administrative rules to meet legislative requirements regarding the take of beavers on private land, as prescribed by HB 3464. More specifically, we support the changes made to both OAR 635-050-0050(6) that exclude beavers to the definition of “predatory animals” and OAR 635-050-0050(3) that exclude beavers as a predatory animal under the definition of “furbearers or fur bearing mammals.” These changes reflect our organization’s interest in protecting beavers by limiting landowner’s ability to capture and take these animals without oversight from ODFW.
We list several asks in conjunction with approving the new rules prescribed by HB 3464:
Uphold the purpose of HB 3464 – to reduce lethal take where possible – by committing to acquiring more comprehensive data to locate conflict hotspots to better prevent them in the future.
Direct ODFW to work with both private landowners who request permits and Wildlife Control Operators, and provide education and resource materials regarding non-lethal coexistence tools.
Provide education to WCOs and landowners on non-lethal strategies to mitigate property damage resulting from beavers, regardless of whether they ultimately take a lethal route.
Establish ODFW field offices as the first point of contact for landowners when attempting to resolve issues with beavers on their property, not Wildlife Control Operators (WCOs). ODFW is more likely to educate landowners on non-lethal methods, as opposed to WCOs, who possess a financial conflict of interest in deterring landowners from lethal to non-lethal options.
Limit WCOs to take beaver only in response to property damage.
Further ensure that reporting of take by WCOs are regular and not periodic (i.e. once every 6 months).
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding these comments.
Sincerely,
Eve Goldman (she/her)
Advocacy & Policy Director
Tualatin Riverkeepers
eve@tualatinriverkeepers.org
