After around 400 years of extinction in England, in August 2020 a wild population of beavers were officially given permission to remain in the River Otter, Devon. The government has now launched a landmark consultation regarding their wider reintroduction to the country.
The Purbeck Beaver Project is currently working with stakeholders to draw up plans for a phased reintroduction of beavers to Purbeck. The National Trust and other partner organisations will submit responses that incorporate local feedback, but this is a public consultation and individuals are also encouraged to take part. So now it's your opportunity to share your feedback directly with the government!
If you are supportive of beavers and would like a say in the conditions for their reintroduction; if you have concerns that you would like to highlight; or if you would like to comment on how they are managed in the future, now's the time to have your say!
A document has been created to help stakeholders for the Purbeck Beaver Project to understand local feedback collected, relating to the government consultation about the future management of beavers in England.
For each question presented in the consultation, general information has been provided, followed by questions you can consider in your answer, and the Purbeck project’s view based on our local consultation and lessons learned throughout the feasibility phase of our work. This has been colour coded for easy understanding.
If you have questions about the consultation or would like to better understand any of the issues that local people have raised during our stakeholder engagement, please do get in touch with gen.crisford@nationaltrust.org.uk
Rewilding is a crucial tool when it comes to tackling the nature and climate emergency that faces us. Beavers can do much of the rewilding we need completely free of charge in river and wetland environments! Planet Purbeck agrees with Rewilding Britain, it really is a ‘no-brainer’ that with the right local community support and management strategies in place, beavers should return!