CA AB2196

Establishes a Beaver Restoration Program within the Department of Fish and Wildlife (subject to legislative appropriation) to promote beaver restoration across California through policy guidance, coordination of restoration efforts, and translocation of beavers into watersheds.

Authorizes the department to consult with beaver restoration program partners, including local and state agencies, nonprofit organizations, federally recognized and nonfederally recognized California Native American tribes, academic programs, and other entities.

Recognizes beavers as keystone species and ecosystem engineers that provide benefits including habitat creation, watershed health improvement, climate change resilience, water storage, flood control, and carbon sequestration.

Specifies that beaver restoration efforts include species monitoring, habitat restoration, translocation, and nonlethal management of human-beaver conflict.

Declares no state reimbursement is required for local agencies or school districts under Article XIII B of the California Constitution because any costs result from changes to criminal penalties or definitions.