Public consultation on Draft Somerset Beaver Management Strategy

After an absence of approximately 400 years, beavers are now back in Somerset. As with all wildlife, beavers can offer multiple environmental, social and economic benefits but they also present challenges. Somerset Wildlife Trust was commissioned by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group SouthWest (FWAG-SW) with funding from the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) to produce a Beaver Management Strategy for the county.

After significant background research of national and Somerset-specific environmental, social and economic opportunities and impacts, a draft Strategy has been created. We now need your input and feedback on that draft. This will help all those who will be personally or professionally positively or negatively impacted by beavers to live alongside this returning, native and legally protected species, capitalising on the many positives and managing potential challenges existing and any future free-living beaver populations can bring for the county while still ensuring high standards of welfare for beavers and other wildlife.

The aim of this survey is to obtain your feedback on the draft Strategy. It does not matter what your existing level of knowledge about beavers is, or how you feel about beavers now being back in Somerset, you can still contribute and we are still very interested in your views. The survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete and can be done any time before midnight on 13 October 2024.

You can view the draft Strategy here.

If you have any concerns, please contact Alicia Hallatt, Human-Wildlife Co-existence Officer, Somerset Wildlife Trust on alicia.hallatt@somersetwildlife.org. However, in advance, thank you for your help – it is appreciated.