Gloucestershire Surveys Sites for Beaver Reintroduction — SkimNews
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- Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England are surveying parts of the county to assess suitability for a new beaver reintroduction programme, with a possible release in the Severn Vale area.
- Emily Bowen of the Beaver Trust called beavers a "keystone species" and "ecosystem engineers," saying they change landscapes to boost biodiversity and increase resilience to climate change.
- Defra said reintroducing beavers "has the potential to make a huge difference to nature recovery" and would need to approve any new release, with a government licence required for the Severn Vale scheme.
- Beavers have lived at Greathough Brook in the Forest of Dean since 2018, and surveys there showed dramatic biodiversity gains, with Kate Wollen of Forestry England reporting sightings of stoats, weasels and pine martens.
- Landowner consultation is underway with people who live, work or manage potential release areas, according to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's Mega Adamou.
- There have been three licensed releases of beavers in England to date, and about 100 animals are expected to be released this year, marking a significant scaling-up of reintroduction nationally.
Why it matters: With about 100 beavers expected for release in England this year versus only three licensed releases to date, Gloucestershire's survey signals a significant scaling-up of reintroduction. Defra's supportive stance and the existing Forest of Dean success since 2018 give the Severn Vale proposal a credible path to approval, but the outcome hinges on landowner consent during the current consultation.
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