Why It Matters: Oregon House Bill 3932 pushes to ban beaver trapping on certain public lands, threatening a vital wildlife management tool under the pretext of conservation. This bill could disrupt ecological balance and waterway health, ignoring science for the sake of restrictive ideology.
Highlights:
- HB 3932 appears to be part of a broader campaign to eliminate beaver trapping in Oregon.
- Scientifically managed trapping is a proven method for wildlife population management and overall health
- Basing restrictions on the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) list enforces a long-term ban without scientific updates.
House Bill 3932, recently introduced into the Oregon Legislature, is the latest attempt in an ongoing effort to outlaw beaver trapping across the state. While anti-trapping groups cheer it as a win for a “keystone species,” the reality is far less rosy. Scientifically managed trapping, recognized as a key tool in overall wildlife management, ensures beavers thrive without overwhelming ecosystems. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has long balanced trapping with waterway and habitat needs, yet HB 3932 tosses science-based, regulated trapping aside in favor of a blanket ban on certain public lands.
The bill’s reliance on the Department of Environmental Quality list of imperiled waterways is a strong concern. Once a waterway is added to this list it is nearly impossible to remove even if conditions improve, a fact that critics like the Oregon Trapper’s Association have noted. This reliance on the DEQ list will lock in a de facto permanent ban with no mechanism for updates. Without trapping, resulting beaver overpopulation can clog streams, devastate timber, impact other wildlife species, and increase human/wildlife conflicts – as documented by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies after the statewide ban on trapping in Massachusetts.
Opponents of HB 3932, including sportsmen and land managers, argue that it is a solution in search of a problem. Oregon’s rejection of a total trapping ban in 2023 showed a preference for science-based wildlife management over emotion. Modern trapping – utilizing best management practices (BMP’s) – is humane and effective, as further detailed by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) in “Trapping: The Truth.” Yet, HB 3932 panders to anti-trapping sentiment over evidence. ODFW, with its strong team of wildlife biologists, is the proper agency for the review and management of beaver trapping across the state of Oregon. Tying trapping to lists from another department hinders ODFW’s science-based wildlife management and creates complicated, disjointed rules potentially causing an imbalance in ecosystem and wildlife management.
