Managing beavers within the legal framework

A 5-step approach to managing beaver activity should be followed:

1. Engagement with beaver management groups

2. Making space for beavers to avoid the need for further actions, e.g. leaving space around a waterway for beavers to use.

3. Taking lawful mitigation actions that do not need a licence, e.g. tree protection, removing a dam that is <2 weeks old.

4. Lower-impact licensed actions, such as reducing dam height.

5. Higher-impact licensed actions that only a specially trained and licensed person can carry out, such as dam removal during the breeding season or translocation. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beavers-protection-and-management/protection-andmanagement-of-beavers-in-england

Some of the costs for landowners with beaver wetlands

£ Costs of monitoring and management

£ Loss of cropped land

£ Impacts on infrastructure

£ Loss of grazing pasture