Beaver restoration.

Existing law, except as provided, authorizes any owner or tenant of land or property that is being damaged or destroyed or is in danger of being damaged or destroyed by certain animals, including, among others, the beaver, to apply to the Department of Fish and Wildlife for a permit to kill the animals. Under existing law, it is unlawful for any person to trap any fur-bearing mammal for purposes of recreation or commerce in fur. Under existing law, a violation of the Fish and Game Code is a crime. This bill would require the department to, through consultation with beaver restoration program partners, as defined, develop a program to promote beaver restoration across California, as provided. The bill would, no later than January 1, 2025, require the department to expand the program by, among other things, developing a licensing scheme that includes the issuance and administration of permits for the capture, handling, transport, and release of beavers on public and private lands, except as specified. This bill would require the department to allow the release of the beaver onto public lands or private lands and would authorize the department to partner with beaver restoration program partners for the express purpose of providing training and capturing, handling, or releasing the beaver onto public lands, as provided. The bill would, if a released beaver migrates naturally onto private property, authorize a private landowner to request the department to relocate the beaver, as provided. This bill would require the department to only allow the release of the beaver onto private lands with a written agreement from the landowner. The bill would establish a procedure for a landowner needing to remove, breach, or modify a beaver dam utilized by the relocated beaver, as specified. This bill would authorize the department to allow the release of the beaver onto lands held by federally recognized tribes or nonfederally recognized California Native American tribes included on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission with a written agreement from the tribal government containing specified information. This bill would require the department to develop criteria to guide the release of the beaver to an area of the state where there is a low probability of the released beaver becoming a nuisance or causing damage and conditions exist for the released beaver to improve, maintain, or manage stream or riparian ecosystem functions. The bill would authorize the department to consider certain factors when relocating the beaver, including, among others, the adequacy of a food source. Because a violation of these new provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.