Beavers and Development: Survey, impact assessment and mitigation

The aim of this course is to equip those making or advising on planning applications and/or development work in areas where beavers might be present.

The course will cover the below:

1. Protected status of beavers (England/ Scotland) [what legislation applies, what constitutes an offence, compliance]
2. If/when a survey might be needed and who should undertake it
3. Survey method and reporting
4. Assessing the effect of development on beavers
5. Avoidance, mitigation and compensation measures (including planners guide for protected species and development)
6. Complying with the biodiversity duty
7. When to apply for a development mitigation licence
8. Site management and developing a monitoring plan

   The course will consist of one online session broken into multiple sections with a comfort break in the middle. The sessions will be based around PowerPoint presentations with interactive quizzes, Q&A sessions and group workshops.

   Please note that this course is the final course in a series of three courses led by Beaver Trust and accredited by Natural England.

   We recommended completing “Beaver Survey Methods and Management” and “Beaver Ecology and Field Sign Identification” before attending this course.

This course is open to those:

1. with previous species knowledge
2. beaver practitioners
3. seeking to apply for a Natural England class licence
4. with direct working experience of beavers and development.

This course is for those working in this sector / professional ecologists and they must have completed at least one of the following bullet points before attending this course:

1. the Beaver Ecology and Field Sign Identification course and CIEEM Beaver Survey Methods and Management
2. Mammal Society’s Beaver Ecology and Conservation training
3. One of the Natural England CL50 or CL51 courses

• Survey methodology and interpretation of results
• Assessing the potential impacts of development on beavers
• Recognise when a licence is required for a development
• Designing mitigation and compensation methods for beavers
• Developing a post-development monitoring programme for beavers