Species Reintroductions

Beavers were once widespread across England but became nationally extinct due to overhunting. In recent years they have returned to our waterways through a combination of licensed releases, escapes, unlawful wild releases and natural breeding.

Beavers can bring many benefits: boosting biodiversity, creating and restoring wetland habitats, and reducing downstream flooding. Their positive effect on water ecosystems can bring benefits for a variety of other organisms, supporting delivery of the Government’s statutory species abundance and extinction targets. River restoration and creation of wetlands by beavers can also potentially contribute towards delivery of the Government’s statutory target to restore or create wildlife-rich habitat outside of protected sites.

The Government are now setting out their approach to the wild release and management of beavers in England.

The Government have asked Natural England to begin assessing licence applications to release beavers into the wild. Beavers released by these projects will be allowed to expand their range naturally, with management plans in place to promote their return to the landscape. On 10 February 2025 the National Trust received a licence to release beavers into the wild as part of their Purbeck beaver project in Dorset.

Beaver reintroductions must be carefully planned to avoid negative effects on farming, food production, and infrastructure. They can pose challenges to those responsible for land and infrastructure in some locations, especially if their activity is not effectively managed.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. The criteria have been developed through extensive engagement with stakeholders.

Applicants will need to submit an expression of interest to Natural England who will assess the project. Only those likely to meet the criteria will be invited to make a full application.

The first expression of interest window will open from 1 March 2025 and will close on 2 May 2025. There will be more opportunities to submit expressions of interest on a regular basis. Full licence applications will need to:

demonstrate clear environmental benefits;

provide evidence of meaningful engagement with local landowners and managers;

explain how the risks of identified negative outcomes will be effectively avoided, mitigated or managed.

These criteria have been designed to ensure that only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licensed, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

Projects must help communities adapt to living with beavers. All new reintroduction projects that receive a licence must develop a project plan. This will usually need to cover at least a 10-year period to support the introduction of beavers into a landscape. The project plan must include an exit strategy for transition to longer-term beaver management to ensure that support to farmers, landowners and local communities continues after this initial period. Natural England must be consulted before a reintroduction project starts its exit strategy.

We will keep this approach under review. We will use what we learn to inform the long-term approach to beaver management in England, and where necessary to update our guidance.

We recognise that some groups and individuals are concerned about the effects of beaver activity. Beavers can cause problems in some situations. However, with the right support and management in place, the overall benefits provided by wild beaver populations more than outweigh the risks.

We want to make sure that support is available to help beavers and people live alongside each other. Our five-step beaver management approach ensures effective management of beavers and supports people to live alongside them.

Environmental land management support and advice for land managers will be available through countryside stewardship higher tier and capital grants. In addition, some actions in the sustainable farming incentive have a role to play in riparian management.

If lower-level interventions without a licence are ineffective or not appropriate, licensed management of beavers may be considered, which can include removing or reducing the height of a dam. As a last resort, beavers may be trapped and translocated, or lethally controlled.

Beavers are already present and breeding in the wild in several catchments in England. One population, on the River Otter in Devon, has already been allowed to remain and expand naturally following the licensed River Otter beaver trial.

We want to support the ongoing effective management of all existing populations. The Government will allow all existing beaver populations to remain and expand naturally, and will ensure that appropriate management measures are put in place. Existing wild populations will be proactively managed through their local beaver management group. Natural England will support these groups to develop their capabilities. This will include helping them to:

develop and implement beaver management and stakeholder engagement plans;

conduct risk and benefit analyses to an equivalent standard as new wild release applications.

We will not tolerate the continued unlawful release of beavers. It is an offence in England under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release a beaver into an enclosure or the wild except under the authority of a licence from Natural England. Doing so without a licence carries a penalty of either an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison.

Our management approach and the support available for people living alongside beavers will develop and adapt to ensure that we continue to meet the challenges posed by an expanding beaver population. Building on the approach that we have already developed for wild release and management, we will collaboratively develop a management plan for the long-term reintroduction and recovery of beaver populations in England. This will help us identify any changes we need to make to adapt to an increasing beaver population, before problems arise. In this way, we will continue to support farmers, landowners and local communities in the long term.

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