2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Welsh Government funding of £19m will help protect ancient woodlands
The funding aligns with the government's newly-outlined strategy to enhance the protection of Wales' ancient woodlands and trees.
Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, said: "Wales' ancient woodlands are of international importance and have an important place in the landscape and history, protecting carbon-rich soils and seed banks beneath them.
"They take centuries to form and are an irreplaceable resource."
As part of this new approach, the government will focus on improving the resilience of temperate rainforests, as pointed out by the Alliance for Wales' Rainforests.
Mr Irranca-Davies said: "Planning Policy Wales has been strengthened to provide a stronger framework for local planning authorities to secure the protection of ancient trees and woodland.
"We are revising our Tree Preservation Order regulations as part of the work on the Planning (Wales) Bill."
The Welsh government also made recent amendments to forestry legislation, which now allows Natural Resources Wales to better protect veteran trees and ancient woodland during felling operations.
Further initiatives include the implementation of recommendations from the four-year review of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021.
These will introduce measures specifically designed to contribute to achieving statutory emission reduction commitments.
Under the Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals, optional actions will be provided to manage existing woodlands, including ancient woodlands, to increase their condition and resilience.
The government will engage with stakeholders and consider budget availability before implementing these actions.
The strategy also includes initiatives to improve air quality and reduce air pollution's negative impact on ancient woodland sites.
The National Forest for Wales programme has provided support to restore and maintain ancient woodland through various schemes.
Mr Irranca-Davies said: "Our approach does not intend to be an exhaustive list of all the possible threats and interventions, but a focus on the strategic priorities.
"It brings together work across government departments and their stakeholders which strengthen protection for our irreplaceable ancient woodlands."
