Gloucestershire Prepares for Beaver Reintroduction
Gloucestershire is being made "beaver ready" as the initiative to reintroduce native beavers advances into its next stage.
The Severn Vale Beaver Project, coordinated by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England, aims to reintroduce beavers to additional locations within the Forest of Dean following the arrival of the first pair in 2018.
The project has received strong public support, according to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, which is now preparing the county to accommodate more beavers through further planning efforts and engagement with stakeholders.
Next Phase and Staffing
As part of the upcoming phase, two assistant species recovery officers will be appointed to provide support to beavers, landowners, and local communities.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust emphasised that there is no guarantee the Eurasian beaver reintroduction will proceed, noting that any future steps will require licensing approval from Natural England.
"We believe that reintroducing beavers to the Severn Vale will be positive for both people and wildlife, helping to recreate lost habitats, increase biodiversity, and reduce downstream flooding for at-risk properties," said Emma Hutchins, director of nature's recovery at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
"We are committed to working with local people to minimise the risk of effects from beavers on other land uses, while enabling beavers to resume their place as a keystone species in our ecosystem."
Public Support and Historical Context
The trust indicated that this next stage follows a feasibility study which identified two suitable locations and found that 91% of the surveyed public supported the return of beavers to Gloucestershire.
Beavers were once widespread across Britain for over two million years before being hunted to extinction approximately 400 years ago.
Impact and Collaboration
Dr Amy Fitzmaurice, species recovery officer for Forestry England, stated that the beavers currently living in enclosures within the Forest of Dean are "making a real difference" by restoring wetlands, creating habitats, and slowing water flow.
"Across the country, beavers are starting to return to the wild too, but that kind of change takes time and careful planning," she said.
"By working with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and other partners, we've been able to look closely at what beavers could mean for the Severn catchment, the opportunities they bring, as well as the challenges."
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