The Human Beaver Coexistence Fund (HBCF) educates the public about the benefits of coexisting with beavers and provides resources and financial support to address human-beaver conflict using nonlethal management strategies.
We accomplish this mission by offering a cost-share incentive program to help landowners and managers pay for beaver coexistence projects of two types:
Tree Protection: Funds will support landowners in purchasing the materials needed to deter beavers from chewing and felling trees.
Learn more about tree protection.
Flow Device Installation: Funds will support landowners installing flow devices to address flooding damage caused by beaver damming behavior.
Learn more about flow devices.
We also share information and resources, on the ground and online, to educate communities about the benefits of and strategies for coexisting with beavers.
We currently serve Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
Why Our Mission Matters
Coexisting with beavers provides many benefits for humans, native plants and wildlife, and the landscape, including:
- Stream repair & restoration
- Erosion reduction
- Increased biodiversity
- Creation of habitat for wetland species, including some whose conservation status is under threat
- Beaver ponds recharge aquifers and stabilize the water table
- Beaver dams regulate stream flow which in turn mitigates flooding
- Beaver dams also improve water quality by filtering pollutants and sediment
- Beaver-created wetlands play a role in helping to mitigate certain effects of climate change, such as increasingly frequent severe weather events that result in major floods, droughts, and wildfires.
