In response to a lawsuit threatened by NWEA, Oregon beavers win reprieve from execution by the federal agency known as Wildlife Services. The agency announced a temporary end to the killing in a letter sent to NWEA and the Center for Biological Diversity in December 2017. Also getting a reprieve are river otters, mink, and muskrats.
In November 2017, NWEA sent Wildlife Services a notice of intent to sue under the Endangered Species Act because beavers create habitat for threatened and endangered species such as salmon, steelhead, and Oregon spotted frogs. Wildlife Services kills 400 beavers on average each year. Now the agency has agreed to consult with the federal fish experts about the effects of removing beavers on salmon habitat before it resumes its program of animal killing.