Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve Beaver Conservation Translocations

The Butte Creek House Ecological Reserve Beaver Conservation Translocations project, managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, aims to re-establish a breeding population of North American beavers in the Upper Butte Creek watershed. Over a three to five year period, multiple family groups and individuals will be captured from healthy source populations, quarantined, and released into the valley watershed. To evaluate the success of the project, beavers will be uniquely tagged, with some fitted with transmitters to monitor population establishment and various ecosystem parameters. This initiative is designed to enhance natural resources and environmental resilience within Butte County. The project has been granted a Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act to facilitate these conservation efforts. Administrative oversight is provided by the Wildlife and Fisheries Division in Sacramento, with the primary point of contact being Environmental Program Manager Valerie Cook.