Directs the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to include the relocation of beavers from western Oregon to central and eastern Oregon in a program for voluntarily relocating beavers.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 354
Sponsored by Senator SMITH DB (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act changes a program for voluntarily moving beavers. The Act makes the volun-
tary program include moving beavers from one part of this state to a different part of this state.
(Flesch Readability Score: 60.1).
Directs the State Department of Fish and Wildlife to include the relocation of beavers from
western Oregon to central and eastern Oregon in a program for voluntarily relocating beavers.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to relocating beavers; amending ORS 498.062.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 498.062 is amended to read:
498.062. (1) As used in this section:
(a) “Beaver” means a member of the species Castor canadensis.
(b) “Forest practices” has the meaning given that term in ORS 527.620.
(c) “Forestland” has the meaning given that term in ORS 527.620.
(d) “Small forestland” means forestland whose owner owns or holds common ownership interest
in less than 5,000 acres of forestland in this state.
(2) Notwithstanding ORS 498.012 (1), an owner of forestland, other than small forestland, or a
designee of the owner, may take a beaver on the owner’s forestland only if:
(a) The beaver apparently poses a threat to infrastructure.
(b) The owner or a designee of the owner first requests that the State Department of Fish and
Wildlife address the threat to infrastructure apparently posed by the beaver.
(c) The owner or a designee of the owner waits 30 days after making the request described in
paragraph (b) of this subsection before taking the beaver.
(3) If the department receives a request under subsection (2)(b) of this section, the department
shall make a reasonable attempt to nonlethally relocate the beaver, as department resources allow,
or otherwise address the threat to infrastructure apparently posed by the beaver, in consultation
with the owner or a designee of the owner.
(4) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section and ORS 498.012 (1), if a beaver on privately
owned forestland damages or imminently threatens infrastructure, an owner of forestland, other than
small forestland, or a designee of the owner, may take the beaver without submitting a request to
the department under subsection (2) of this section.
(5) An owner, or a designee of an owner, that takes a beaver under subsection (2) or (4) of this
section must report the taking as described in ORS 498.061.
(6) In consultation with persons engaged in forest practices and other interested stakeholders,
the department shall:
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1423
SB 354
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(a) Make reasonable attempts to nonlethally relocate beavers, as department resources allow.
(b) Develop a program for voluntarily relocating beavers that includes the voluntary relo-
cation of beavers, on advice from the department, from areas of western Oregon to areas
of central and eastern Oregon in which beavers are native, in order to provide watershed
enhancements.
(7) Notwithstanding ORS 496.162 (3), the State Fish and Wildlife Commission shall adopt rules
to implement this section.
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