Tory think tank urges payments to farmers to restore beavers, lynx and other native species

A Conservative‑endorsed think tank has called for the government to pay farmers to allow the reintroduction of extinct and locally absent native species such as the lynx, beaver and pine marten on English farmland, arguing the measures would help revive the countryside and deliver environmental benefits more cheaply than engineered solutions.

The report from the Conservative Environment Network, titled Paradise Regained: The conservative case for restoring English nature and authored by Kitty Thompson, recommends using environmental land management (ELM) payments introduced after Brexit to incentivise farmers to host species reintroductions. The paper, delivered to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, was backed by several senior Conservative figures and frames the proposals as a ‘‘conservative, pragmatic, and ambitious’’ approach to rural conservation and food production.

The report says reintroduced predators and ecosystem engineers can play a key role in restoring natural processes. It points to beavers, already present in limited areas of England, as a tool to slow and store floodwaters, potentially reducing the need for costly flood‑control infrastructure. It also argues that predators such as the lynx and pine marten could help control non‑native species including muntjac deer and grey squirrels, which have been linked to declines in native flora and fauna.

"Public awareness of which animals actually belong on these shores has been eroded," Thompson wrote in the document, asserting that England has been comparatively timid about species reintroductions. She cited examples from elsewhere in Europe, saying Italy, France and Spain have adopted arrangements — from bear‑proofing mountain communities to compensation schemes for livestock losses — that allow native species to be restored while managing impacts on people.

The paper recommends broadening the scope of ELMs so farmers can be paid to host reintroductions and to manage landscapes in ways that restore ecological functions. It also proposes using post‑Brexit freedoms to permit more extensive gene editing of crops to boost domestic production and calls for reforms to water industry regulation to encourage construction of reservoirs and larger sewer projects.

Supporters framed the proposals as compatible with conservative stewardship of the countryside and rural livelihoods. "True conservatism recognises that prosperity and stewardship go hand in hand: by supporting our farmers, we secure not only our food and rural economy but also the flourishing of our fields, woodlands and wildlife for generations to come," the report quoted a shadow environment minister as saying.

The report acknowledges that reintroductions are controversial and that impacts on farming and property must be managed. Critics point to the risk of lynx preying on livestock — lynx have been absent from Britain for more than 1,000 years — and to beavers, whose dams can flood farmland and render some areas less productive. The paper counters that compensatory arrangements and targeted management could reduce those risks and that restoring natural processes can save taxpayers money that would otherwise be spent on artificial substitutes.

England is described in the report as among the more nature‑depleted countries, with some of its most valuable habitats "hanging by a thread." The authors argue that rewilding and species restoration should be part of a broader rural policy that also addresses water, agriculture, the built environment and designated wilderness areas.

Conservationists and some rural stakeholders have long been divided over species reintroductions. Supporters say returning keystone and apex species can restore ecosystem balance, increase biodiversity and provide natural solutions to problems such as flood management. Opponents raise concerns about practical impacts on farms, public safety and the cost of mitigation. Grey squirrels, introduced to Britain in the 19th century, are cited in the report as an example of how non‑native species have harmed native wildlife, pushing red squirrels toward local extinction in many areas.

The proposals add to ongoing debates within Conservative ranks over how the party should combine agricultural policy, environmental protection and rural economic priorities after Brexit. The report urges the party to claim environmental stewardship as a central plank of conservative policy and to use new policy tools to restore native species as part of a wider effort to reverse long‑term declines in England's natural environment.

Ministers and opposition parties have not yet announced formal responses to the recommendations. The paper’s delivery to the party leadership is likely to prompt further discussion among policymakers, farmers' groups and conservation organisations about the costs, safeguards and practicalities of reintroducing native species on private land.