Beaver pond and dam seen from above, surrounded by lush green summer growth
Active FPLT-managed Public land

Beaver Protection Project

Observe. Support. Advocate. Protecting — and bringing back — the valley's hardest-working wetland engineers.

Beavers are the cheapest watershed engineers we will ever hire — their dams slow spring runoff, raise water tables, and build the wet meadows everything else depends on.

The project is anchored on FPLT-managed land, where an active colony shows what beavers do for a watershed — and it reaches beyond it: more dams stand on public land nearby.

Observe. We document active colonies, map dams, and track how the wetlands behind them change season to season.

Support. We help landowners install flow devices and tree protection instead of removing dams — coexistence is almost always cheaper than conflict.

Advocate. We speak for beaver protections and reintroduction with local and state agencies.

If you have beavers on your land and mixed feelings about them, talk to us first.

Gallery

Beaver dam holding back a pond on a creek in an open sagebrush valley
A single dam turns a narrow creek into acres of wetland habitat.
Beaver pond edged by dense green willows in early summer
Willow-lined pond — prime beaver forage and cover for wildlife.
Beaver dam and pond among conifers on a mountain slope in autumn
A high-country dam still holding water late in the season.

Get involved

Questions, volunteering, partnership — start here.

We typically respond within 3 business days. Everything you share stays confidential.

Have land and an idea?