We know people can’t possibly stop killing beavers because it’s good for frogs, good for salmon. good for water, good for fire. I mean why should they? What’s in it for them? But this new angle could possibly work. Jesus Christ but it might possibly work!

Landowners to be paid to create ‘nature corridors’ alongside rivers as beaver habitat

Landowners could be paid to stop tending to riverbanks running through their property under Government plans to help rewild beavers across Britain. The move would prevent farmers from farming all the way up to the river’s edge, to help encourage trees and shrubs to grow as part of a “nature recovery network” spanning the length of the country.

The radical plan is the brainchild of Defra’s new Nature Champion, Ben Goldsmith, who has been discussing it with his minister brother Lord Goldsmith for years, The Sunday Telegraph understands.

The pair have been lobbying Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make the plan part of the new post-Brexit Environments Land Management Strategy, and he is understood to think it is a “great idea”. He will be asking farmers to do this as part of a raft of woodland creation policies.

Now THAT might make your average farmer think twice about ripping out that beaver dam and bringing his shot gun to the lodge. GREAT work Ben Goldsmith and your Lordy brother! Imagine those thanksgiving dinners listening to all that persuasion!

The Government has been working with the Beaver Trust to discuss how beavers could help “garden” the trees, and ensure they do not become overgrown.

Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith said: “Encouraging trees to grow along England’s watercourses will offer numerous benefits for water quality, flood management, biodiversity and climate resilience – helping rivers to adapt to the changing climate

“That is why, through our upcoming action plan on trees and woodlands which will set out new steps to meet our commitments to tackle climate change and protect nature, we will be creating an ambitious new package of support for creating woodlands near rivers and waterways.”

The beaver trust rocks. Admit it. You think you’re group is saving beavers? The beaver trust will kick the snot out of any effort you feeble attempt and make your mother ashamed. They are the beaver bomb. Enough said.

Under the scheme, landowners will be given “significant” subsidies for allowing the space next to waterways to remain wild, senior government sources told The Telegraph. There are also plans being mooted to make this corridor scheme a condition of getting Environmental Land Management subsidies – which many farms would not be profitable without.

Beavers are understood to be part of the strategy, with this habitat being created with the aim of releasing the aquatic mammals into many river catchments to help with biodiversity. A recent government review found that beavers increase the amount of fish and invertebrates in river catchments and reduce flooding. The timing of beaver releases will be outlined in the upcoming National Beaver Strategy.

Oh my goodness. I want a National Beaver Strategy. I’d settle for a state beaver strategy. I better sit down. I’m feeling faint. Oh, wait. I am sitting down.

It is hoped these new woodlands will also improve conditions for aquatic life, and tackle climate change, as they provide shade and reduce summer water temperature for fish helping rivers adapt to climate change. It could also help slow the flow of and temporarily store water as part of Natural Flood Management, and prevent excessive riverbank erosion and collapse.

Just bend low with me now and say altogether. “We are not worthy”. The beaver Trust is the new god from which all good things flow. We could not be more impressed.

The government has been working with some of the country’s biggest environment organisations to implement this plan, including the National Trust, Rivers Trust and Woodland Trust. They will be building these corridors on their land, as well as encouraging neighbouring landowners to do the same.

James Wallace, the CEO of the Beaver Trust explained: “These four charities are keen to work with the government and we believe an alliance of organisations should be working together. We need industry, government and NGOS to collaborate to restore our rivers. We have taken that initiative and are coming together to create riparian corridors.

Oh my. Oh my goodness. I better put my head between my knees. I keep getting faint.THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT. THIS. THIS, THIS!!!

Wallace added: “Imagine what we could do by working together across sectors, boundaries and interests along England’s 240,000km of waterways to help rivers breathe life back into the land and the excitement we could create at COP26 to demonstrate leadership and action.”

You have all our adoration and respect and support Beaver Trust! Clearly this calls for a celebration. Beavers everywhere agree,

The triumphant return of the British beaver

There is a particularly magical West Country woodland that I know, through which a sunlit stream meanders, braided by a series of neatly dammed pools that hum with life; dragonflies and mayflies, swallows, swifts, kingfishers, amphibians and small fish teem here in numbers rarely seen in Britain. The birdsong is cacophonous. The water’s edge is lined with the fresh growth of willow, hazel and alder, artfully coppiced as if by a skilful gardener. This wood happens to be home to a family of reintroduced beavers.

You see my confusion. “Cacophonous”? “braided?” Sure sounds like the Ben we know writing big flowery big words about beavers. But no, it’s another Ben entirely! A British Ben! (No, not the clock.)

Streams engineered in this way by beavers play a critical role in protecting us from flooding, as well as from seasonal drought. Without beaver dams, winter rainfall brings a torrent of water that rushes downstream, causing flash flooding. That gives way to dry, lifeless gullies in the summer once the water has gone. Beaver dams slow the flow of water, giving nature time to sift it of sediment and impurities, and release it evenly through the year.

The return of beavers to Britain, along with all that they do to bring life into our landscapes, is truly a marvel.

Two continents of Ben’s praising beavers! I’m liking this! Can there be more? I like the idea of being surrounded by Ben-beaver wisdom. No matter what direction you embark you could find a Ben to tell you why beavers matter. Let’s work on the idea of asia-Ben.

In areas where beavers do present a problem, such as in man-made ditches designed to keep low-lying arable land from being flooded, they must be managed, preferably non–lethally. But opposition to the return of beavers mostly arises from misunderstanding. There are worries that migratory fish such as salmon and trout might be unable to make it past beaver dams, which ignores the fact that they co-evolved over millions of years with beavers. And some people object to the ‘mess’ created by beavers along the water’s edge. Considering that the majority of our land is stripped, cultivated, tidied and managed by humans, surely we can we allow nature a bit of free rein along our watercourses.

The return of beavers to Britain, along with all that they do to bring life into our landscapes, is truly a marvel.

I suppose, somewhere in the annals of history, there is an American writer who noticed beaver were reappearing on the landscape in 1912 or 20 and observed how wonderful it was to see them back on the landscape. It’s hard to imagine now, but I sure wish I had been there, to see the streams spark to life again. Of course by the time the beavers were coming back we were already ruining their waterways with unchecked American industry of our own, so I guess for a long time they cancelled each other out.

Still its fun to watch others discover what you already know and love.

And just to make sure you get both your daily-Ben doses, there was a nice interview on the “Down to Earth podcast” out of New Mexico yesterday. I think you’ll enjoy this listen to “The little Rodent that Could“. It’s a smart discussion of why beavers matter to an arid state, and the interviewer is both surprised and curious about the right things.