Colorado launches multi-agency beaver conservation strategy

Colorado is advancing a multi-agency initiative to increase and sustain the state’s beaver populations. Governor Jared Polis has designated the project a “wildly important goal,” prompting a collaborative effort between Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and the State Land Board.

The Beaver Conservation and Management Strategy includes nine measurable targets focused on staffing, habitat restoration, interagency collaboration, translocation, and coexistence with landowners. The program is supported by $1 million in funding derived from oil and gas production fees.

Officials emphasize that beavers act as “essential ecosystem engineers” by building dams that slow water flow, which helps rehabilitate wetlands, improve water quality, build drought resilience, and increase biodiversity across the state.