Beavers can help store precious water and rejuvenate land ravaged by climate change. Vast networks of beaver dams can slow torrents of water raging down mountainsides, and protect crops. Their engineering subdues torrential floods from heavy rains or snow melt by slowing water. It reduces erosion and recharges groundwater. With beavers’ help, creeks have widened into wetlands that run through the sagebrush desert, cleaning water, birthing new meadows and creating a buffer against wildfires. Their wetlands create needed habitat for myriad species, from salmon to sage grouse. They may also remove carbon from the atmosphere.
www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/climate/climate-change-beavers.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage§ion=Climate%20and%20Environment
On a related note, The Beaver Trust (UK) says, “As we look to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies, restoring beavers to their former range will help us build climate resilient landscapes and restore freshwater habitats and the species that rely on them.” https://beavertrust.org/
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is another beaver supporter. “The Eurasian beaver is native to Britain and [was] widespread in England, Wales and Scotland, but… became extinct in the 16th century, mainly because of hunting…” Efforts are now underway to re-introduce the Eurasian beaver, a keystone species, to its former range in Britain because of its many contributions to healthy, well-functioning ecosystems. See: https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/policy-insight/species/beaver-reintroduction-in-the-uk/
There are several U.S. organizations supporting beaver protection and education, including the Beaver Institute (MA), https://www.beaverinstitute.org/, The Beaver Coalition (OR), https://www.beavercoalition.org/, Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (NY), https://www.beaversww.org/, the National Wildlife Federation, https://www.nwf.org/WorkingWithBeavers, etc.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service sums it up nicely: “Using Beaver for Climate Change and Conservation Benefits” https://www.fws.gov/project/beaver-conservation-strategy