I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10303 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to 

assist projects that use nonlethal coexistence measures to reduce property 

damage caused by native beavers, a keystone species, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 5, 2024 

Ms. DELBENE (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, and Ms. TLAIB) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant 

program to assist projects that use nonlethal coexistence 

measures to reduce property damage caused by native 

beavers, a keystone species, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Developing Alternative 

5 Mitigation Systems for Beavers Act’’ or the ‘‘DAMS for 

6 Beavers Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BEAVER DAMAGE MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 year after 

3 the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 

4 shall establish and implement a grant program under 

5 which the Secretary may award grants on a competitive 

6 basis to eligible entities to carry out projects that use non7 lethal coexistence measures to— 

8 (1) reduce property damage caused by beavers; 

9 and 

10 (2) maintain or enhance habitat for beavers and 

11 other wildlife. 

12 (b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary may enter into 

13 an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foun14 dation to administer the Program in consultation with the 

15 United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 

16 (c) ELIGIBILITY.—An eligible entity that applies for 

17 a grant under the Program shall submit to the Secretary 

18 an application at such time, in such manner, and con19 taining such information as the Secretary may require, 

20 which shall include the following: 

21 (1) A description of the experience, qualifica22 tions, and training (including planned training) of 

23 the eligible entity with respect to the use of non24 lethal coexistence measures. 

25 (2) In the case of an application submitted by 

26 an eligible entity that is not a State or Tribal wildVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:56 Dec 28, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10303.IH H10303

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1 life or natural resources management agency (or 

2 equivalent), a certification that the eligible entity 

3 has consulted with such an agency (or equivalent). 

4 (3) In the case of an application submitted by 

5 an eligible entity that is not an owner of the prop6 erty on which a relevant proposed project will be lo7 cated, a certification that— 

8 (A) each owner of the property consents to 

9 the project; and 

10 (B) for the duration of the project, only 

11 nonlethal coexistence measures will be used on 

12 the property for purposes of reducing property 

13 damage caused by beavers (except in the case 

14 of a circumstance subject to an exclusion under 

15 subsection (d)(3)(A)). 

16 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the Pro17 gram, the Secretary may give priority to projects that— 

18 (1) include monitoring and research that facili19 tates— 

20 (A) evaluating the impact of the project; 

21 (B) gathering data for use in future 

22 projects; and 

23 (C) identifying best practices; 

24 (2) include maintenance and adaptive manage25 ment of nonlethal coexistence measures; 


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1 (3) include educational and outreach activities; 

2 (4) have received Federal funding through any 

3 program established under title 23, United States 

4 Code, or section 6703 of title 49, United States 

5 Code, as determined in coordination with the Sec6 retary of Transportation; or 

7 (5) satisfy any other criteria the Secretary de8 termines relevant to effectively reducing damage to 

9 property by, and maintaining or enhancing habitat 

10 for, beavers and other wildlife. 

11 (e) CONDITIONS AND TERMINATION.— 

12 (1) CONDITIONS.—As a condition of receiving a 

13 grant under the Program, for the duration of a 

14 project carried out with grant funds awarded under 

15 this section, an eligible entity may use only nonlethal 

16 coexistence measures for purposes of reducing prop17 erty damage caused by beavers on the property on 

18 which the project is carried out. 

19 (2) TERMINATION.—The Secretary shall termi20 nate a grant made to an eligible entity under the 

21 Program if a measure other than a nonlethal coex22 istence measure is used on the property on which 

23 the relevant project is carried out for purposes of re24 ducing property damage caused by beavers on such 

25 property. 


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1 (3) EXCLUSION.— 

2 (A) IN GENERAL.—Paragraphs (1) and (2) 

3 shall not apply if the Secretary determines— 

4 (i) that a measure other than a non5 lethal coexistence measure is necessary to 

6 protect human health or safety; 

7 (ii) in consultation with relevant Fed8 eral and State agencies, that a measure 

9 other than a nonlethal coexistence measure 

10 is necessary to protect a Federal or State 

11 flood control or water rights mandate; or 

12 (iii) that a project carried out with 

13 grant funds awarded under this section 

14 has been implemented for more than 1 

15 year and such project has not sufficiently 

16 reduced property damage caused by bea17 vers on the property on which the project 

18 is carried out. 

19 (B) DOCUMENTATION.—The Secretary 

20 shall maintain a record of each determination 

21 made under subparagraph (A). 

22 (f) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

23 of a project for which a grant is awarded under the Pro24 gram may not exceed 75 percent. 


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1 (g) FEDERAL AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS.—An eligible 

2 entity may enter into a partnership with a Federal agency 

3 for assistance in— 

4 (1) applying for a grant under the Program; or 

5 (2) carrying out a project with a grant awarded 

6 the Program. 

7 (h) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 

8 90 days after the end of each fiscal year for which grants 

9 are awarded under the Program, the Secretary shall sub10 mit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report that 

11 includes— 

12 (1) a detailed description of the projects funded 

13 by grants under the Program, including the extent 

14 to which such projects represent diverse geographic 

15 areas; 

16 (2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the 

17 Program in selecting projects according to the prior18 ities described in subsection (c); and 

19 (3) recommendations to improve the effective20 ness of the Program. 

21 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

23 appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for 

24 each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 


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1 (2) LIMITATION.—Not more than 10 percent of 

2 the amounts made available each fiscal year under 

3 paragraph (1) may be used for administrative ex4 penses of the Program. 

5 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

6 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti7 ty’’ means— 

8 (A) an Indian Tribe (as such term is de9 fined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determina10 tion and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 

11 5304)); 

12 (B) a State or Tribal agency; 

13 (C) a unit of local government; 

14 (D) a foundation, nonprofit organization, 

15 or institution of higher education; and 

16 (E) a partnership between— 

17 (i) 1 or more entities described in any 

18 of subparagraphs (A) through (D); and 

19 (ii) an owner of property that has sus20 tained or is at risk of sustaining property 

21 damage due to beaver activity. 

22 (2) NONLETHAL COEXISTENCE MEASURE.— 

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘nonlethal 

24 coexistence measure’’ means a measure deVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:56 Dec 28, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10303.IH H10303

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1 signed to mitigate property damage caused by 

2 beavers that does not incorporate— 

3 (i) the gripping, trapping, injuring, or 

4 killing of a beaver; 

5 (ii) the destruction or removal of a 

6 beaver dam or lodge, unless such destruc7 tion or removal is necessary to install flow 

8 management devices; or 

9 (iii) the relocation of a beaver. 

10 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘nonlethal 

11 coexistence measure’’ includes— 

12 (i) fencing used to protect culverts; 

13 (ii) fencing and paint-sand mixtures 

14 used to protect trees; 

15 (iii) fencing used to protect earthen 

16 dams from beaver burrowing; and 

17 (iv) flow management devices used to 

18 control water levels in beaver ponds. 

19 (3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 

20 the grant program established under subsection (a). 

21 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di23 rector of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serv24 ice. 

Æ 


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