Bob Ward points to the flood prevention and ecosystem recovery benefits, while John Varley says beavers can be a nuisance too

If the prime minister’s office really is blocking the licensed release of beavers because it regards it as a legacy of the last government (No 10 blocks beaver release plan as officials view it as ’‘Tory legacy’, 14 January), it shows that the government really has not grasped the importance of this issue.

Beavers have a potentially critical role to play, as a reintroduced native species, in helping the UK become more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change by effectively managing the risks of floods and drought as periods of heavy rainfall and extreme dryness become more frequent and intense. Beavers also help the recovery and development of ecosystems.