Vital nature: Making the connections between biodiversity and the people and places of Wales

NRW’s strategic steer for biodiversity to 2022

1 Foreword

Wales has a new legal NRW is also embarking on the framework, and Natural development of a long term Resources Wales a new vision for the environment purpose, together they help to 2050, in a collaborative enable a fundamental change process with our partners: the to the relationship that people, public sector, environmental businesses and Government organisations, community have with nature and the groups and businesses in essential role it plays in our Wales. This vision will become well-being. both the compass and route map for many of the decisions that we will need to make biodiversity – the variety of together, as we find new ways life – continues to decline. of working to restore the Like hundreds of other environment on which we all organisations around the depend. world, NRW is clearer than ever that unless we can halt In Wales, as in the rest of and reverse this decline the world, the root cause of Diane McCrea - Chair and build the resilience of biodiversity loss and depletion Natural Resources Wales ecosystems, our well-being of natural resources is that and the well-being of future for centuries the negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems from most social This document sets out and economic activities have NRW’s priorities and ways of working and a series Pollution of air and water, loss of high level actions and of pollinators, declining soil commitments. These are the quality, depletion of fish stocks things which we will take and extinction of species have forward in the coming years as we launch a new process into account, or often not of engagement, enabling, taken into account at all, in the collaborating and learning, to choices and decisions made maximise the positive impacts by individuals, businesses, on biodiversity and ecosystem public sector bodies and even of the decisions we and entire sectors of the economy. others make. It sits alongside As a result, legal and policy NRW’s Corporate Plan to 2022 frameworks for protecting the and will steer our work to environment were developed, Dr Madeleine Havard (Deputy Chair) deliver improvements in the Natural Resources Wales primarily to try to control the sustainable use of our natural resources and the quality and unsustainable activity. resilience of our ecosystems. Many of the actions in our But things are changing. Corporate Plan that address At the heart of Wales’ new flooding, pollution, health and legal framework is the well-being contribute directly recognition that everyone’s to development of solutions wellbeing - economic, social, that can also help biodiversity cultural and environmental to thrive. - depends on healthy and

2 resilient ecosystems, which in resilient ecosystems at the practitioners from all sectors. turn depend on biodiversity. very centre of planning As we in NRW rethink our own While past efforts have been and decision-making, at role as a practitioner, enabler vital in limiting the damage, all levels and across all and influencer, we recognise the Wellbeing of Future sectors. that we have much to learn, Generations (Wales) Act and we invite the people of 2015, and the Environment This strategic steer for Wales to join us on a journey (Wales) Act 2016 give us biodiversity will be a that delivers for biodiversity both an opportunity and a platform for constructive and ecosystems for present legal imperative to shift the dialogue, robust and future generations in focus away from managing debate, creativity and Wales. the symptoms to tackling innovation, both within root causes. The challenge our organisation and as July 2018 now is to put biodiversity and we work with leaders and

3 Contents

Vital nature...... 5

Nature under threat...... 7

Addressing the challenge...... 9

Our agenda for action on Biodiversity...... 12 1. Connecting people and biodiversity...... 13 2. Embedding the consideration of biodiversity and ecosystems...... 15 resilience into all NRW’s functions 3. Improving the approach to protected sites...... 18 4. Working with others to maintain and enhance biodiversity...... 22 5. Having the right evidence to inform our work...... 24 6. Investing in the knowledge and skills of our staff...... 27

Resourcing this work...... 28

Next steps...... 28

Annex 1: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources: Legal ...... 29 and policy framework Annex 2: Supporting delivery of Nature Recovery Action Plan...... 33 objectives and NRW Well-being objectives Annex 3: List of abbreviations used...... 34

4 Vital nature

Wales’ natural environment is a source of the natural world, often formed from of wonder and inspiration. Our country treasured experiences which may go back is renowned for its landscapes and to childhood. These connections, though seascapes, mountains, coastlines and we may not always be consciously aware of woodlands. As well as iconic species them, are part of our sense of place and our like the bottlenose dolphin, red squirrel, history, and are at the heart of the cultural marsh fritillary, chough, red kite, Snowdon identity of Wales: they are our natural lily and wild cotoneaster, Wales has a heritage. great diversity of less obvious but equally important species including invertebrates, The sense of emotional well-being that fungi, mosses, lichens, liverworts and soil contact with nature often gives us at a organisms. All these species – and there personal level, is of course, only part of may be up to 50,000 of them – inhabit the picture. The natural environment also one or more of a wide range of habitats provides us with just about all the things we across the land, freshwater, coasts need to live and thrive: the air we breathe, and seas, including blanket bogs, oak the water we drink and the food we eat. woodlands, grasslands, sand dunes, rivers, It provides the raw materials and energy estuaries, bays and reefs. Meanwhile the for our homes and industries, and can also diverse geology of Wales is known all protect us against environmental hazards, over the world, having produced much of such as flooding, soil erosion and the impacts the slate and coal that fed the industrial of climate change. revolution. Wales has many of the key sites which helped develop the science The natural environment provides of geology itself and which continue to employment and sustains communities in play a key role in research, education and all parts of Wales. Thousands of people tourism. work in farming, forestry and fisheries, all of which depend on natural resources. Many people have a deep-rooted Thousands more are employed in the personal and emotional connection to tourism and recreation industries, whose nature or to a particular place or part key resource is Wales’ natural environment

What do we mean by biodiversity, geodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem resilience? Biodiversity means the variety of life on earth – plants, animals, fungi and micro- organisms. It includes both genetic diversity within a single species, and the diversity that exists across all species. Biodiversity is also not just about species but the variety of ecosystems they inhabit, which exist at a range of scales, such as from an individual soil micro-habitat to a whole landscape.

Geodiversity means the variety of rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, sediments and soils, together with the natural processes which form and alter them.

Ecosystems are functioning systems made up of biodiversity, the supporting environment (air, water, minerals, soil) and the interactions between them.

Ecosystem resilience is the ability of ecosystems to cope with pressures, disturbances and change – either by resisting them, recovering from them or adapting to them. Achieving ecosystem resilience is about working at a larger scales, promoting functional connections between natural places, ensuring they have high natural diversity, are in good condition and increasing their extent. Biodiversity is an essential underpinning element of all resilient ecosystems. All functioning and resilient ecosystems have a characteristic healthy and often rich biodiversity.

5 and the opportunities it provides for Put simply, our well-being and that enjoyment and relaxation. The wildlife, of future generations depends landscapes and seascapes of Wales completely on the natural environment are a rich source of inspiration for and biodiversity. We literally couldn’t many forms of artistic and cultural live without it. And what is more, expression. These interactions with biodiversity has its own intrinsic value as nature, in whatever form they take, well as being essential for human well- play an important role in maintaining being. our mental health and provide opportunities to improve our physical health.

iStock.com/Malgorzata Sosnowska

6 Nature under threat Our natural environment is under Like much of the rest of the UK and significant pressures and threats. Europe, Wales continues to face Decisions made by individual citizens, biodiversity loss. According to the 2016 business and government often have State of Nature: Wales report1 published a negative effect on nature. Climate on behalf of a consortium of nearly 70 change, pollution of air, freshwaters conservation, management and research and seas, the loss and fragmentation of bodies, of the animal and plant species habitats to development and changes in identified as conservation priorities in land use, the introduction and spread of Wales, 33% of the species which were invasive species, pests and diseases and assessed have declined over the past the increasing demands of the human decade, with between a third and a half population on natural resources to provide of the remainder showing no significant food, energy and raw materials, have improvement. direct or indirect impacts on biodiversity. Furthermore, biodiversity and ecosystems NRW’s State of Natural Resources are not only being impacted by current Report (SoNaRR)2 includes assessments pressures, they are still bearing the of the condition of our Special Areas impacts of human activity that occurred of Conservation (SACs) and Special years, decades or even centuries in the Protection Areas (SPAs), the sites past. subject to the highest level of statutory

In practice: Sand dune restoration Sand dune habitats in Wales represent some our most important sites for biodiversity, and are highly distinctive landscapes, valued for their scenic beauty and opportunities for public access and recreation. Dunes are formed and maintained by wind erosion acting on mobile sand, and healthy dune ecosystems depend on the continuation of natural processes to maintain their characteristic vegetation and physical form. However, many sand dune habitats in Wales have become stabilised due to changes in management including reduction in grazing, increased levels of nutrients and coastal defences. Such stabilisation impacts on specialised species of plants and animals that rely on mobile, bare or pioneer habitat conditions. Many of our most important sand dune areas, including at Newborough, Kenfig and Merthyr Mawr, are protected by SSSI, NNR and SAC designations, where a number of large scale dune restoration projects are taking place. These projects are focussing on carrying out works (such as excavation and vegetation removal) to restore the balance between bare and vegetated areas and to encourage the natural mobility and dynamism of sand dune systems. The aim is that by focussing on re- establishing the underlying ecosystem processes that maintain the habitat, long term benefits can be achieved, including improving the conservation status of key species and reducing the need for repeated interventions which may only deliver short term gains.

1 State of Nature 2016: Wales. Available from www.rspb.org 2 The State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR) 2016. Available from www.naturalresources.wales 7 protection. On Wales’ terrestrial and environmental and economic well-being. freshwater SACs and SPAs, 55% of species It concludes that no ecosystem in Wales and 75% of habitats are assessed as is likely to have good resilience. Being being in an unfavourable condition, and less resilient means that ecosystems the trend of many species and habitat and biodiversity have a reduced ability types is one of continuing decline. Recent to survive and adapt to challenges indicative condition assessments of our such as climate change, invasion by marine SACs and SPAs3 suggest that 46% undesirable species and pressures such of designated features (both habitats and as hydrological change and habitat species) are in a favourable condition and fragmentation. 45% in an unfavourable condition. If these trends continue and our More widely, SoNaRR has assessed the biodiversity continues to decline then extent to which natural resources in Wales future generations’ access to clean are being sustainably used and managed air, water, food, raw materials and and has looked at how pressures on Wales’ opportunities for enjoyment of nature natural resources are resulting in risks can no longer be taken for granted. and threats to long-term social, cultural,

3 Indicative feature condition assessments for European marine sites (EMS). Available from www.naturalresources.wales 8 Addressing the challenge

What are ecosystem services? Ecosystem services is a term used for all the benefits that ecosystems provide for people. • Supporting systems and services, including bedrock, soil formation, nutrient cycling and primary production, necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services. • Provisioning services such as mineral resources, crops, fish, timber and genetic material. • Regulating services including water purification, flood alleviation, biological control mechanisms, carbon sequestration and pollination of commercially valuable crops. • Cultural services, providing a source of aesthetic, spiritual, religious, recreational or scientific enrichment.

The statutory purpose of NRW as set for Wales and an evidence-based expert in the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 independent advisor to government is to pursue Sustainable Management and others. The public and our partners of Natural Resources (SMNR). This rightly expect us to be champions for represents a shift of focus away from biodiversity and the environment, and delivering our many individual statutory rightly expect us to take a leading role functions in isolation from one another, in terms of innovation and influencing and towards addressing the pressures and Government policy on nature drivers of ecosystem change, not just the conservation and biodiversity. effects. It is why NRW was established, and provides both the opportunity and Many areas of work we carry out the obligation to work in a more joined- to deliver our functions are vital to up way. SMNR, together with our duty in securing improvements in biodiversity Section 6 of the Act to seek to maintain and ecosystem resilience, including and enhance biodiversity, and the Nature flood risk management, forestry and Recovery Action Plan (NRAP) which woodland management, regulation of represents the biodiversity strategy for industrial processes, agriculture, waste Wales, provide NRW with a renewed management, water resources, fisheries focus to exercise the full range of our and recreation. functions so as to improve ecosystem resilience. The legal and policy framework We are already transforming the way we is explained further in Annex 1. work through: • Developing a detailed, shared NRW has a wide range of duties and long-term vision for the natural powers that relate to biodiversity. environment to 2050 with our staff We have statutory functions whose and stakeholders during 2018/19, primary purpose is the conservation and how we measure progress of habitats, species and geodiversity, towards it. such as our duties and powers relating to the designation and management • Embedding our purpose – SMNR – of protected sites and the statutory across all of our work, and ensuring protection of rare and threatened species. the 2016 Environment (Wales) Our wide remit includes being a regulator, Act’s biodiversity and resilience of advisor, policy-maker, land manager, ecosystems duty is also embedded, educator, facilitator and partner. We are helping other public bodies to do the statutory nature conservation body the same.

9 In practice: Preventative and adaptive action to manage tree health and improve ecological resilience

Phytophthora ramorum is a fungus-like productivity and land suitability; changes in pathogen which causes extensive damage the type, extent, frequency and impact of and mortality to a wide range of trees. In the pests, pathogens and invasive species; and past four years, over 650 hectares of larch changes in the frequency and/or magnitude have been clear-felled in the Afan valley, of extreme weather and wildfi re events. which equates to well over 15% of the forest area, and felling work is still ongoing. The Through an increased tree restocking outbreak of P. ramorum across Wales, not just programme we are working to get Afan at Afan, has been the largest outbreak of a back on its feet as quickly as possible. tree disease in Great Britain since the Dutch We are planting a wider range of species, elm epidemic in the 1970s. It has required a including broadleaves, making sure that huge amount of planning and resources to the provenance of these species is capable achieve the level of felling required at Afan, of adapting to future climatic change. in accordance with bio-security protocols, to We are also looking to manage areas of try and limit the spread the disease as far as the forest using Low Impact Silvicultural possible. Systems which will enhance opportunities for biodiversity. Taken together, these actions The felling has taken its toll on the visual, will improve the structural, species and landscape and amenity aspects of the valley genetic diversity of the forest and improve but these will recover in time. We are trying habitat connectivity, making the forest more to make the most of what has happened by resilient to future threats, including pests and implementing changes that will make the diseases. forest more diverse and therefore ecologically resilient to future threats such as climatic NRW is also involved in developing and change. The climate globally and in Wales implementing broader biosecurity work is predicted to change with wide-ranging with partners to ensure that threats from implications for all ecosystems, including pests and pathogens do not become woodlands. Some of the projected changes ecological tipping points. Recovery of are potentially so signifi cant that they could damaged woodland ecosystems is a priority completely change the extent, nature and but equally important are measures to condition of the woodlands and forests that raise awareness of tree pest and disease we have in Wales, both recently planted symptoms, causes and actions, such as and ancient in origin, and this will have an NRW’s Keep it Clean campaign. impact on the ecosystem services that we derive from them. The main risks for forestry in Wales are related to changes in forestry

10 • The assessment of the state of our Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015) natural resources and the extent to into our corporate planning processes which we are achieving SMNR, through (see Annex 1). the preparation and publication of SoNaRR in 2016, and aiming to • Our work in the marine environment, produce SoNaRR II by 2020. where the legal, policy and strategic planning framework, including the • Working with stakeholders to co- development of the Welsh National produce Area Statements across Marine Plan, has already shifted Wales, which set out priorities, to a greater focus on sustainable opportunities and constraints to help management of natural resources and implement the Welsh Government’s application of the ecosystem approach. National Natural Resources Policy at a local and regional level. • Developing approaches for Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) to • Strengthening our relationships with identify opportunities for landowners, a wide range of stakeholders and managers and businesses to deliver developing new partnerships. biodiversity and ecosystem gains alongside achieving commercial • Collaborating, as one of the four benefi ts. statutory members in all the Public Service Boards in Wales, to co-produce • Restructuring our organisation and local Well-being Assessments and ways of working to create integrated Well-being Plans, as set out in the programmes for the services we Well-being of Future Generations deliver, and to give a stronger focus on (Wales) Act 2015. organising our delivery around places and the achievement of our Well-being • Embedding our well-being objectives Objectives. (developed under the Well-being of

In practice: Applying the ecosystem approach in the marine environment

The past decade has seen considerable development in the planning, management and conservation framework for the marine environment at national, European and international levels. The new framework embeds the ecosystem approach as a requirement in legislation and policy in a manner consistent with the principles of SMNR. Key elements of this new framework include the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the UK Marine Policy Statement, a UK Marine Strategy developed in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and the Welsh National Marine Plan. There are also legislative requirements in the above framework, and further obligations under the OSPAR Convention, to develop an ecologically coherent network of well-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) at a UK and North-East Atlantic scale. The network approach combines all types of marine protected sites into one network designed to a series of principles, including connectivity and resilience, collectively intended to support wider ecosystem resilience and create a strategic and targeted approach to designations. Through our statutory and advisory functions under these and other mechanisms, NRW applies an approach to the marine environment that is consistent with the principles of SMNR and our biodiversity goals.

11 Our agenda for action on biodiversity

NRW’s statutory purpose of SMNR Each of these is set out in more detail supports, defines and drives our below, with the goals that we wish to biodiversity work. We have sought the achieve, and a series of commitments and views of Board members, staff and high level actions. stakeholders to help define our aspirations for our work on biodiversity and building We know that NRW cannot achieve ecosystem resilience over the coming success alone. Other bodies in the public years, and to identify areas for innovation and private sectors, including those in areas and improvement across all relevant areas such as health, tourism, transport, industry, of our work. Building on the principles of retail and housing, have an active role to SMNR, the policy priorities in the Welsh play. All public authorities in Wales are Government’s Natural Resources Policy subject to the biodiversity duty in Section 6 and the objectives set out in the Nature of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, and Recovery Action Plan (see Annex 1), we we want to work with them in support of have identified priority areas for our work the delivery of this duty, while also engaging on biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, with private sector, non-governmental under the following six themes: organisations (NGOs), community organisations and volunteers. 1 Connecting people and biodiversity 2 Embedding the consideration of We must also recognise that biodiversity biodiversity and ecosystem resilience into and ecosystems do not respect political or all NRW’s functions administrative boundaries. Wales’ border with England and the seaward boundary 3 Improving the approach to protected sites of our marine area are not the outer limits 4 Working with others to maintain and of our ecosystems. We need to work with enhance biodiversity partners elsewhere in the UK, the Republic 5 Having the right evidence to inform our of Ireland and further afield, recognising work that addressing many of the threats to biodiversity and ecosystem resilience 6 Investing in the knowledge and skills of requires thinking and acting across regional our staff and national boundaries.

In practice: Anglesey and Llŷn Fens restoration project The fens of Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula are In addition, changes in water quantity and rare wetland habitats, where the combination quality had led to peat breaking down which of acidic and alkaline conditions supports in turn affected the quality of local drinking distinctive and unusual communities of plants water. and animals whose international importance for biodiversity is recognised by designation as NRW worked with landowners in and around Special Areas of Conservation. Between 2009 the fens to restore degraded peat, clear and 2015 NRW carried out a major programme areas of scrub, re-establish grazing, restore of habitat restoration and community watercourses and manage water levels so engagement on and around the fens, supported that they can support the characteristic by European Union ‘LIFE’ programme funding. species diversity. The project is also expected to deliver long term economic and social The central place that the fens once had in the benefits, as well as environmental gains. economic and cultural life of local communities Abandoned areas have now been opened up was felt to have been lost. The fens had for livestock grazing, while restoring the fen suffered from long term habitat damage habitat improves its ability to absorb and hold and neglect, including from drainage works, water, contributing to flood alleviation and nutrient pollution and long term decline of lasting improvements in water quality. New traditional land use practices such livestock opportunities for recreational access to these grazing, periodic burning and harvesting of unusual and inspiring landscapes are also rushes which had led to scrub development being developed. and large areas of overgrown, rank vegetation.

12 1. Connecting people and biodiversity Our wildlife, habitats, landscapes and To help achieve this goal, we will: seascapes are a source of inspiration and • Champion the biodiversity and enjoyment for people who live and work in geodiversity of Wales, and use all Wales and for visitors, as well as providing opportunities to raise public interest, employment and essential ecosystem awareness and understanding. services such as food, clean water and protection from flooding. Acknowledging • Prioritise biodiversity in the the dependence of a wide range of development of our strategy for ecosystem services on biodiversity lies communication and engagement with at the heart of SMNR and the Well-being our partners, stakeholders and the Goals. public, seeking wherever possible to While recognising all the material goods inspire interest in and appreciation of and services that ecosystems provide wildlife, habitats and special places. us with, we should not lose sight of the This means not only focussing on importance of people’s personal and our remote and awe-inspiring rural emotional connections to nature. Loss of landscapes and seascapes, but also that connectedness can have negative recognising the value of contact with impacts on the well-being of individuals nature in local, everyday settings such and communities and makes it much as in parks, gardens and urban green harder to bring about positive changes in space. attitudes and behaviour. If people engage • Encourage opportunities for positive directly with the natural world, be it contact with nature through our work through outdoor activities, environmental on promoting outdoor recreation education and learning, scientific research and access to the Welsh countryside, or the arts, or by taking an active part in coast and sea, including for example the management of areas of land, water the Wales Coast Path and recreational or sea for their biodiversity, they feel and educational use of publicly owned connected to nature and dependent upon forests. it, and so place an increased value on it and all the benefits it provides. • Enhance the contribution that protected sites, particularly our National Nature Reserves (NNRs), can Our goal: make to improving well-being through the opportunities they provide for Everyone values the species recreation, learning and contact with nature in beautiful and inspiring and habitats, landscapes locations. and seascapes of Wales • Raise awareness of the cross-cutting and has opportunities for benefits provided by biodiversity access to nature. There improvements and resilient is wide appreciation and ecosystems to the economy, human understanding of the value health and well-being, and for increasing people’s sense of material of the natural world and its and cultural connectedness to nature. importance for people’s well- • Support public authorities of all being and for the economy, types in their work to comply with helping to align the choices their biodiversity duty under the that we make with the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, by capacity of ecosystems to working to provide and share best practice, case studies, evidence, support us. advice and inspiration, including through the Wales Biodiversity

13 Partnership (WBP) and our biodiversity and nature conservation engagement with Public Service and foster positive behaviour change. Boards (PSBs). • Collaborate with the Welsh National • Work collaboratively with the Park and Area of Outstanding Natural environmental NGO sector, aligning Beauty (AONB) authorities, building our objectives and pooling resources on the profound connections that wherever possible, drawing on their communities and visitors have with skills and experience in promoting these treasured and internationally public interest in the natural world renowned landscapes, to enhance and using citizen science as a way of public understanding and experience fostering interest and appreciation of nature and the intricate of nature as well as an approach to relationships between landscapes/ gathering evidence. seascapes and biodiversity. • Explore ways we can support the development of a responsible nature-based economy in Wales, such as wildlife tourism and sustainable forestry, ensuring that such enterprises inspire support for

In practice: Future Landscapes Wales Programme The Welsh Government’s Future Landscapes internationally recognised by the International Wales (FLW) Programme is supporting the Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Designated Landscape Authorities (for the The FLW Partners have come together to three National Parks and five AONBs in Wales), put forward an offer to address these issues NRW, NGOs and private and public sector across large parts of Wales. To bring about partners, in developing more collaborative and transformational change, this collaborative strategic approaches to tackling the issues proposal will extend beyond the 25% of Wales facing the National Parks and AONBs. One of designated as National Park or AONB. Taking a the main themes to emerge from this work is place-based approach, involving communities how to address biodiversity loss and landscape and land-managers, it will test interventions to change, including within the context of EU deliver conservation outcomes alongside wider exit, and reinforce the conservation role and well-being benefits. It is anticipated the results purpose of Wales’ designated landscapes, from this programme could help shape future whose importance for biodiversity is rural policy.

iStock.com/George-Standen 14 2. Embedding the consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem resilience into all NRW’s functions

NRW functions • Each year we issue more than 10,000 consents and permits for activities affecting water bodies, air quality, waste management, land use, woodlands, flood risk, the marine environment, fisheries, protected sites and protected species. • We respond to around 8,000 to 9,000 planning consultations per year, as well as contributing to the preparation of numerous plans, strategies and policy documents by the Welsh Government, local authorities, utility companies and others. • We are responsible for the management of 58 of Wales’ 76 National Nature Reserves and 126,000 ha of Welsh Government-owned forests, representing about 7% of the land area of Wales. • We own over 4,000 flood defence assets and maintain 510 km of flood defences. • We promote countryside access, manage freshwater fisheries, make management agreements with land managers, carry out and commission monitoring and research projects, enforce environmental legislation, respond to environmental incidents and publish a wide range of technical and non- technical information and reports about our work and about the natural resources of Wales. • We carry out a full range of supporting functions that enable us to deliver all these responsibilities, including corporate planning, financial management, human resources, IT systems, data and information, communications, buildings, vehicles and equipment.

The emphasis of the new legislation Our goal: and policy is firmly on the requirement to integrate resilient ecosystem and Our statutory duty to seek biodiversity requirements into all sectors to maintain and enhance and functions of public authorities. In biodiversity and build NRW, the responsibility for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem ecosystem resilience in resilience applies not only to our carrying out our functions, biodiversity and nature conservation staff, is fully embedded as a key but across the full range of our functions. consideration in all areas of NRW’s work, and we Under Section 6 of the Environment learn from others and share (Wales) Act 2016, in carrying out all our functions we must seek to maintain and practices that inspire and enhance biodiversity and the resilience of enable Government, public ecosystems, and in so doing contribute to authorities and businesses the Well-being Goals in the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. across Wales to do the same.

15 To help achieve this goal we will: • Lead by example in delivering multiple • Ensure that biodiversity and benefits on our land and assets, ecosystem resilience is considered including by exploring opportunities at early stages in our planning and for habitat improvement and decision-making processes and restoration and ensuring that the incorporated as a matter of course in protected sites that we manage are our plans and programmes, advice, achieving their conservation objectives. permitting and regulation, land and This will include demonstrating best asset management, commissioning practice and innovation. and procurement. • Implement bio-security best practice • Build on existing good practice, across the organisation, to help reduce and develop training, guidance and the risks to biodiversity, ecosystem information resources for staff to resilience and well-being from pests, ensure high standards of delivery diseases and invasive species. of our Section 6 duty across all our • As part of embedding SMNR and functions. ensuring that we deliver our Section • Embed compliance with our Section 6 duty, assess the extent to which 6 duty within our organisational biodiversity actions and outcomes are plans (Corporate Plan, Business incorporated into the delivery of all our Plan and delivery plans), rather than functions, to help identify priority areas producing a standalone plan for our for action and innovation. This will also Section 6 duty. include looking at ways to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of • Report on what we are doing to our interventions. deliver our biodiversity duty by making such reporting a central part of our wider corporate performance management and reporting process. • Encourage the development of a funding framework for agriculture and forestry post-EU exit that has at its core the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, and provide support and expert advice to the Welsh Government to enable that to happen. • Manage the land for which we are responsible as exemplars for biodiversity and building ecosystem resilience, including on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate (WGWE), NNRs and flood defence assets. This will include delivering the purpose and role of the WGWE, in the context of the UK Forestry Standard and Welsh Government’s Woodlands for Wales Strategy.

16 In practice: Biodiversity and conservation management on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate Approximately 16,309 hectares (13%) conservation. For example, in of the WGWE is classified as high Clocaenog forest, we manage the conservation value forest, which forest in partnership with others to means it is managed primarily for support the ongoing conservation conservation objectives. This includes of red squirrel, the small pearl- forest areas designated as SSSIs, bordered fritillary butterfly and SACs and SPAs, and also Ancient black grouse. In Coed y Brenin, Semi-Natural Woodlands, Semi- we have undertaken habitat Natural Woodlands, Planation on improvement work as part of the Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) or Pearls in Peril project to safeguard Nature Reserves. In support of Welsh the future of freshwater pearl Government’s Woodlands for Wales mussels which are found within the strategy, and in accordance with the Afon Eden SAC. UK Forestry Standard, we have various programmes in place to manage these • The removal of invasive non-native areas of the WGWE, to conserve species including rhododendron and enhance their biodiversity and and western hemlock. For example, improve their ecological resilience, in Cwm Clettwr forest, we have including: removed over 20 hectares of western hemlock since the late • The prioritised restoration of PAWS 1990s. Cwm Clettwr is part of to a more natural state, gradually a network of ancient woodland removing the conifers and allowing site restoration work in the Dyfi them to return to predominantly Valley. Initially there was some broadleaves, supporting relict replanting with locally sourced indigenous flora and fauna that still and grown native trees to help survive. A good example of this maintain woodland soil condition, is our work in Wentwood forest but thereafter natural regeneration near Newport which has just been has occurred and there has been accredited under The Queen’s a slow but sure recovery of native Commonwealth Canopy initiative. woodland flora and fauna, including • Targeted management interventions the dormouse. to proactively target biodiversity

4 The purpose and role of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. Available from www. naturalresources.wales

17 3. Improving the approach to protected sites Our goal: Protected sites on land, inland waters and the sea are a key type of measure for delivering SMNR and an essential Protected sites on land and mechanism for maintaining biodiversity sea in Wales are an integrated and building ecosystem resilience. We network, ecologically want our protected sites to function connected with the wider as core areas of a resilient ecological network, in which habitats and wildlife landscape and seascape, populations can thrive and expand, resilient to climate change, recolonising areas from which they have and where a dynamic been lost, and contributing to ecosystem services well beyond the protected site approach to site designation boundaries. and management enables habitats and species to On land (including the foreshore), NRW has a legal duty to notify SSSIs where they thrive and expand, providing meet criteria agreed at a GB level, and to ecosystem services well further the conservation and enhancement beyond the site boundaries. of SSSIs. The SSSI series is intended to represent the full range of biodiversity and geodiversity in Great Britain, and To help achieve this goal, we will: maintaining that natural diversity is central • Develop a strategic approach to to ensuring resilient ecosystems. NRW terrestrial, freshwater and marine also has duties under EU biodiversity protected sites which enables the legislation to apply all relevant functions future planning and management of so as to conserve the features of marine the site network to effectively address and terrestrial SACs and SPAs. key challenges, including in particular However, if we focus only on designating, the impacts of climate change on protecting and managing these sites and biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and do not address the wider pressures on well-being. In relation to the marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, environment, our approach will support these jewels in the crown could Welsh Government’s commitment to become increasingly isolated islands the establishment of an ecologically of biodiversity. More and more of the coherent network of MPAs.5 limited resources for site protection • Build ecosystem resilience and the and management will be used in trying provision of ecosystem services by to defend individual sites from further maintaining and enhancing the role deterioration, rather than taking positive of protected sites both in conserving action and addressing the wider threats representative examples of habitats, that affect the whole network of sites. species and geodiversity and in improving ecological connectivity. • Explore options to manage protected sites in geographically defined networks and groups or clusters, supported by using a wider range of policy tools and delivery mechanisms to build resilience of the network rather than on an individual site basis. This will include working with the Welsh Designated Landscapes

5 UK Contribution to Ecologically Coherent MPA Network in the North East Atlantic. Joint Administrations Statement: Defra, DOE, Scottish Government, Welsh Government. Available from www.gov.wales 18 In practice: Sites of Special Scientific Interest

The purpose of SSSIs is to conserve also advise local planning authorities and representative examples of the full range others on the avoidance and mitigation of of habitat types, species and geological damage to SSSIs as a result of development features in Great Britain. They are our and infrastructure. There are 1,072 SSSIs in principal type of protected area designation Wales covering approximately 12% of the for biodiversity and geodiversity land area. The primary purpose of SSSIs conservation. SSSIs in Wales are part of is nature conservation, but the majority GB-wide series selected according to of sites are in private ownership and are guidelines published (and recently updated) subject to a range of land uses including by the UK Joint Nature Conservation agriculture, forestry, recreational use and the Committee (JNCC). As well as having the management of water resources. A report duty to designate (notify) as SSSI any land commissioned by Defra in 2011 6 estimated or foreshore which we consider to be of that, in addition to their direct benefits for special interest according to the selection nature conservation, the value of ecosystem guidelines, NRW has a range of powers services provided by the SSSI series Wales to regulate operations likely to damage was £130-230 million. SSSIs and to work with landowners to secure favourable management, through contractual management agreements. We

6 GHK Consulting (2011) The benefits of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Report to Defra, available from http://randd.defra.gov.uk/)

19 Authorities to test and develop • Use the appropriate mix of new approaches to landscape-scale measures for the designation, nature conservation, working beyond safeguard and management of protected site boundaries to build wider protected sites and the wider ecosystem resilience and connectivity, countryside and sea, to ensure that and will also draw on the progressive the coherence of the site network approach already being applied in is maintained. This may include the marine environment to design an whole or partial de-notification of ecologically coherent network of MPAs. SSSIs where there is no possibility of restoration and, if a site is de- • Work towards achieving favourable notified, taking steps to ensure no conservation status for habitats net loss to biodiversity, such as and species, recognising that this through designation of possible means both getting the features of additional sites or other forms of protected sites in favourable condition intervention. within their landscape or seascape setting, and addressing pressures on • Use the priorities laid out in the conservation status of habitats and Natura 2000 Prioritised Action species in the wider terrestrial and Framework9 to guide investment of marine environment. This will include resources on terrestrial and marine exploring opportunities for managing protected sites, working to source protected sites in Wales so as to funding to deliver actions identified in contribute to meeting international the Prioritised Improvement Plans and targets for ecosystem restoration.7 Thematic Action Plans in a systematic manner. We will also review the • Progress the designation of new sites balance of our effort and resources on land, inland waters and sea, or spent on Natura 2000 sites and the modify or extend existing sites, where wider protected sites network. there is a clear need, establishing priorities in the light of benefits and • Review how we deliver our risks to biodiversity, geodiversity and regulatory roles in relation to SSSIs ecosystem resilience. This will include and protected species, to ensure we reviewing the terrestrial protected site deliver a rigorous, streamlined and series in view of the GB guidelines for effective service, consistent with the selection of SSSIs (currently being SMNR and our regulatory principles, revised and updated by the JNCC), to while recognising the complex and ensure that we have the right network often competing priorities and of sites to maintain and enhance constraints for landowners and biodiversity and build ecosystem managers. resilience. • Explore opportunities for strategic • Continue to uphold a high standard partnerships with businesses and of protection and management major landowners such as utility of protected sites, including by companies and conservation considering ways to recognise and charities, where protected reward good practice and, where sites under the ownership or sites are unlawfully damaged, management of such organisations take enforcement action that is could be managed more effectively proportionate and in line with our to deliver the conservation of regulatory principles8, wherever biodiversity or geodiversity features possible seeking restoration of alongside providing other economic, damaged sites. social and environmental benefits.

7 See ‘Aichi target’ number 15, under the Convention on Biological Diversity, to restore at least 15% of degraded ecosystems. Available from www.cbd.int

8 Our regulatory principles. Available from www.naturalresources.wales

9 Prioritised Action Framework for Natura 2000 sites. Available from www.gov.wales

20 • Review our NNR series to embed the bodies) or any sites which should be agreed principles for NNRs and to de-designated because they do not and identify any sites which could benefit cannot meet the required standard, and from possible alternative management consider potential new sites to improve arrangements (for example transfer the representation of key habitat types of responsibility from NRW to other within the NNR series.

In practice: National Nature Reserves

There are 76 NNRs in Wales, ranging in size • Public access and enjoyment for people of from less than 1 hectare to nearly 8,000 all abilities hectares, and covering a wide range of • Interpretation, education and habitats and landscapes including mountains demonstration of good conservation and moorland, woodlands, bogs and fens, management practice lowland grasslands, sand dunes, estuaries and islands. Mostly managed by NRW, • Stakeholder and local community NNRs are the only type of protected site in involvement Wales where the primary land use is nature • Managed by appropriate organisations, conservation, but the provision of access which may include strategic partnerships for recreation, education and scientific study is of key importance, with Welsh • Contribute to local economy in line with NNRs attracting millions of visitors every social justice principles year. We have developed a series of 12 core • Management to deliver ecosystem services principles for NNRs in Wales, reflecting their contribution to SMNR and the Well-being • Management secure in the long term Goals: • Opportunities for study and research • Nationally important sites for biodiversity • Management consistent with ecosystem and geodiversity approach under the Convention on • Primary land use is nature conservation Biological Diversity 1992 • Exemplars of good practice in conservation management

21 4. Working with others to maintain and enhance biodiversity Economic growth and development are vital to the well-being and prosperity Our goal: of Wales, and many forms of economic activity can result in at least some Maintaining and enhancing localised impact on biodiversity. However, biodiversity and building while change is inevitable and in some cases necessary to build ecosystem ecosystem resilience are resilience, overall loss of biodiversity a routine requirement of need not be an inevitable consequence new development and the of development or other economic regulation and management activities that use natural resources. With careful planning and management, of natural resource use across economic activity and developments all sectors in Wales. can also deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services. To help achieve this goal, we will: The Natural Resources Policy, the State • Work with Welsh Government and our of Natural Resources Report and Area partners to provide advice and guidance Statements provide a common evidence to support implementation of a step- base to integrate biodiversity at the wise approach planning, development earliest stages of developing policy, and regulation, which maximises strategic plans and projects and to help opportunities for enhancement, seeking encourage a strategic spatial and cross- biodiversity gains wherever possible, sectoral approach focussed on integrating and minimises unavoidable harm to and addressing multiple issues, focussing biodiversity and ecosystems. on early interventions and solutions rather than a reactive approach which deals with • Seek to maximise positive opportunities issues in isolation. for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity through our engagement NRW considers that a step-wise approach with the development planning system should be taken in the development of and with the developing National policies and plans affecting the use of Marine Plan for Wales, including natural resources, and in the management through our role as a consultee on and regulation of developments and the development of the planning other activities. This means that the first framework itself and the preparation of priority should be to avoid damage to plans, as well as our role as a statutory biodiversity and ecosystem functioning consultee and regulator of individual wherever possible, if necessary involving projects and developments. modifications to what is being proposed. If some degree of harm is unavoidable • Use our expertise to identify and and justified by the balance of benefits communicate opportunities and that the development or other activity benefits in promoting the re-creation provides, alternatives should then be and restoration of natural habitats considered (e.g. alternative policies and wildlife populations, in particular or approaches, or different locations), though the Area Statement process. where there would be less or no harm • Identify strategic targets and priorities to biodiversity. If no suitable alternatives for habitat and species restoration, exist and the risk of damage cannot including through application of otherwise be removed or reduced, steps the Favourable Conservation Status should be taken to seek compensatory (FCS) concept10, to help ensure that measures for the damage. investments in biodiversity gain and building ecosystem resilience are of the right kind and made in the right locations.

10 Favourable conservation status: UK statutory conservation bodies’ common statement. Available from www.jncc.gov.uk 22 • Emphasise the enhancement of land managers and their advisors ecological connectivity at a landscape/ to provide beneficial biodiversity seascape scale and reducing habitat outcomes linked to planning fragmentation as priorities, when conditions or obligations, or for offsite developing approaches and projects compensation when damage cannot for maintaining and enhancing be avoided. biodiversity. • Apply the principles set out in • Work with key partners to improve the NRW position statement on river habitats across Wales, in Conservation Translocations, in particular through developing River developing the overall approach for Restoration Plans (RRPs), bringing biodiversity gain and when proposing, together evidence from multiple advising, managing or regulating any sources to define constraints and specific proposals or projects. enable prioritisation of resources to best effect. The particular focus will • Work with developers, planning be on restoring impoverished habitats, authorities and environmental removing barriers to ecological consultants to ensure that the connectivity and establishing Atlantic outcomes of our advice in relation salmon as a key indicator species for to maintaining and enhancing the condition of our rivers. biodiversity and building ecosystem resilience are properly recorded, • Contribute to the development of that their effectiveness is subject to best practice techniques, developing ongoing monitoring and assessment, the evidence base and improving but also that this information is made ecological methods of habitat available to others to improve the creation, restoration and species knowledge base and the ongoing translocation, so as to help developers, review of best practice.

In practice: A catchment scale approach to environmental permitting In 2014, NRW applied an innovative approach their discharge of nutrients which could lead to issuing a permit to enable a commercial to further deterioration of water quality in dairy to develop its business without harming the river and in the SAC. However NRW was an SAC. The dairy in Haverfordwest – a able to issue a permit, by directly linking the significant local employer - processes milk discharge consent for the new treatment from farms in Pembrokeshire, producing plant to a requirement on the farms within nutrient-rich effluent which is discharged the same river catchment who supply milk into the Cleddau River, which in turn flows to the dairy to reduce their nutrient inputs into Milford Haven, part of the Pembrokeshire to the streams flowing into the Cleddau. As Marine SAC. These enclosed coastal waters each farm signs up to scheme and adopts are already under pressure from nutrient different farming practices, such as better enrichment, and the conservation objectives management of cattle slurry, the nutrient load for the SAC seek to prevent any increase in entering the rivers is progressively reduced nutrient levels. The dairy operators wanted to and the discharge from the dairy can be increase production and build a new effluent increased with no net increase in nutrient treatment plant, which would mean increasing inputs to the SAC.

23 5. Having the right evidence to inform our work

NRW is an evidence-based organisation. evidence base means securing access to This means that we need to have the evidence gathered and held by others, as right evidence to inform our actions and well as having the right focus for our own interventions as a regulator, advisor, land evidence gathering programmes. manager, enabler and responder. We need to work with others using a common evidence base, sharing our data and Our goal: information with partners, and making appropriate use of data and information To have a robust and open provided by others. evidence base that allows our own teams and organisations In order to enable us to focus our effort and resources most effectively, and to give of any size to put SMNR into robust, proportionate and timely advice to practice, including the ability others, we need to understand the nature to measure, understand and and causes of environmental change, and communicate the causes of the factors that affect biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems, both positively environmental change and and negatively. We also need to be able the opportunities to improve to assess the effect of our interventions, biodiversity, build ecosystem and the interventions of others, so that we focus our efforts on what works, and stop resilience and maintain and doing what doesn’t work. enhance the benefits they provide. We have a focused programme of work relating to biodiversity evidence, including monitoring of protected site features, analysis, interpretation, data To help achieve this goal, we will: management and sharing, and advice to support decision-making. We also have • Develop our understanding of the an extensive programme of evidence- concept of ecosystem resilience and gathering relating to water quality and ways to assess it, and develop the data water resources in Wales. As well as being and evidence base to support that a significant producer of evidence, we understanding, recognising the key also rely heavily on evidence generated importance of assessing the state of by others, including Welsh Government, biodiversity in defining and assessing JNCC, NGOs, research institutions and ecosystem resilience and how it may the private sector. Having the right change over time.

In practice: A joined up approach to knowledge and evidence in NRW

Knowledge underpins the successful delivery we and our partners can view and analyse of all NRW’s functions. It is enshrined in this evidence base in a holistic way which the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the supports joined up decision making. We Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) are working to bring together all of the Act 2015 that we take an evidence based knowledge and information held by NRW’s approach to managing the environment of legacy bodies. We are also developing the Wales for the benefit of the people of Wales. technical infrastructure to allow staff and Delivering SMNR and effectively embedding partners to access this knowledge base in biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem one location so that all our data, reports, resilience into all our functions, makes it maps and other forms of information are especially important that we have joined-up available and readily accessible to everyone approach to how we capture, manage and who needs them. disseminate knowledge and, crucially, that

24 In practice: Species re-introduction

Some threatened species benefit from Cors Erddreiniog SAC on Anglesey. specific, small-scale and localised habitat management. For example, recent projects Where actual species extinction has occurred to boost southern damselfly populations at at a local or regional level, detailed and various sites across Wales have focussed on careful plans are needed to ensure successful opening up stream and ditch habitats choked and sustainable re-introductions. NRW and by vegetation to provide more suitable its predecessor bodies have worked over a conditions for the species. Mechanical diggers 20 year period in partnership with Natural were used in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokshire England, NGOs and local authorities to to widen streams and create extra pools and successfully re-establish sand lizard and channels, while smaller-scale works to clear natterjack toad populations along the North ditches have been carried out by hand in the Wales coast.

J Foster / Arc • Make appropriate use of well- their resilience and the benefits they established assessment and reporting provide to the well-being goals, and frameworks such as Favourable presenting evidence at the right Conservation Status, Good Ecological spatial and temporal scales. This will Status and Good Environmental include drawing on the experiences Status, as used under EU Directives, and perspectives of others in collating in developing a new framework for and effectively communicating our defining and assessing ecosystem evidence, both within NRW and with resilience. external partners. • Seek opportunities to maximise the • Use our influence and Wales-specific use of innovative and cost-effective expertise to help steer and advise methods for gathering environmental on UK-wide species surveillance evidence, including Earth Observation schemes (for example in relation to techniques and citizen science, to birds, butterflies, bats and marine enhance the evidence base, and allow mammals), and new initiatives such us to collect data more efficiently. as Welsh Government’s Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring and • Present evidence on biodiversity Modelling Programme (ERAMMP) and through SoNaRR and, in the wider development of Earth Observation context of evidence on SMNR, helping approaches, so that such schemes can to link information about ecosystems, 25 increasingly provide the broader scale • Ensure that, wherever appropriate, evidence needed to manage the natural well targeted monitoring and evidence resources of Wales according to SMNR gathering is routinely built into all principles. forms of interventions that we carry out and that such evidence is held • Focus the investment of NRW’s and maintained in readily accessible resources for carrying out biodiversity- formats, so that we can assess the related monitoring, on the designated effectiveness of interventions, develop sites in Wales and areas that we own good practice and share knowledge. or manage which have significant biodiversity interest. • Maximise the use of our rich species and habitat data sources, and adapt • Design our evidence collection and evidence programmes so that we use, monitoring around the assessment of capture and present evidence in new condition and trends, thus maximising ways which influence and support its value in informing decisions on how, SMNR, meet prioritised evidence when and where we and others should needs from gaps identified through intervene. This will include appropriate SoNaRR and the Area Statement use of streamlined approaches to process, and where appropriate, can evidence gathering and analysis, be used as indicators of progress. applying the principle of ‘collect once, use often’, and accepting indicative • Continue to develop and use joint reporting where it represents the best and cooperative approaches to data use of limited resources. provision, research and monitoring, working with partners including JNCC, • Develop a strategic, risk-based universities and other research bodies. approach to our monitoring of protected sites (terrestrial, freshwater and marine), in line with the recent reviews of our monitoring, evidence and reporting activities. This will focus on gathering the evidence we need to effectively manage sites and the factors affecting them, and will include looking at how we can monitor across the wider suite of protected sites in Wales, rather than focussing only on SACs and SPAs. • Continue working with the other nature conservation agencies in the UK to update the Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) guidance, which provides a technical framework for monitoring of protected sites across the UK.

26 6. Investing in the knowledge and skills of our staff

NRW staff work across a diverse range of To help achieve this goal, we will: functions, ranging from supporting and • Work within all functions of our enabling services like corporate planning, organisation at all levels, to improve finance and information management, understanding of biodiversity and to front line functions such as incident ecosystem resilience pressures and response, permitting, estate management, opportunities, their role within SMNR, enforcement and public engagement, with and our statutory duties. a wide range of technical specialists in between, including biologists, geologists, • Develop our broader skills and ecologists, planners, economists, expertise relating to SMNR and explore engineers and lawyers. As a complex innovative ways of bringing staff with organisation with limited resources, we different specialisms together to must continually find the right balance in work collaboratively across different using the range of statutory duties and functions and sectors. powers we have to deliver our multiple roles. • Recognise, value and promote the wealth of specialist expertise on NRW’s biodiversity and nature biodiversity matters that we have conservation specialist expertise is valued within the organisation, supporting and and respected throughout Wales, the UK enabling staff to apply those skills and and wider afield. We are seen, and see knowledge to best effect, and investing ourselves, as a leading provider of high in maintaining and developing that quality, specialist advice, both internally expertise in the long term. in engaging with our own regulatory • Develop our networking, sharing and operational functions, and externally of ideas and opportunities for in supporting our partners. A key collaboration with practitioners in challenge of embedding SMNR and the other parts of the UK, Europe and biodiversity duty across NRW is to equip further afield, recognising that we will all our staff with the means to effectively not necessarily have, or need, all the and confidently apply their particular necessary skills and knowledge within knowledge and skills to achieving the the organisation and that we will need shared objective of improving ecosystem to make use of the expertise and resilience and well-being. experience of others. Our goal: • Develop our skills and approaches to communicating about biodiversity and ecosystem resilience using language NRW staff have the in ways that inspire and support our knowledge, skills, commitment partners. and support to deliver our • Have a clear plan and commitment to goals for biodiversity and maintaining knowledge and skills within ecosystem resilience and we the organisation, including through excel at inspiring and enabling continuity planning, training and supporting staff development. landowners, business leaders and community groups to • Further develop our communication, do the same. Our specialist networking and joint working across our different functions, and between expertise is valued, shared different parts of Wales, continuing to and grown with a like- build positive relationships and shared minded community of leading knowledge and understanding between functions, breaking down professional practitioners around the and cultural differences. world.

27 • Acknowledge and resolve competing • Ensure that, where required, or conflicting internal policy objectives biodiversity and ecosystem resilience and priorities, and ensure that different policy, position statements, guidance teams are not working in opposing and best practice are available to staff, directions, seeking balanced solutions giving clear lead and direction on key that promote resilient ecosystems as a issues that affect Wales. fundamental requirement of SMNR.

In practice: Restoring a grassland SSSI to deliver multiple benefits

Most of our lowland grassland SSSIs need a management plan for the site to allow it to be actively managed and grazed by to be grazed when not being used by the livestock to maintain their characteristic Scouts for camping. This also provided for biodiversity. Grazing at an SSSI on Anglesey mowing of drier areas for hay production, at had progressively declined to the point where least initially to reduce nutrient levels and the site had eventually been abandoned prevent regrowth of scrub and bramble. The and unmanaged for several years. This had agreement is delivering biodiversity benefits, allowed scrub, rank vegetation and invasive in terms of improving the condition of the species to spread. The land was then rented SSSI features and provides the Scouts with to the local Scout Association to use for their a site where they can camp, play outdoor outdoor recreation and education purposes. games and pursue environmental projects NRW set up a management agreement with which deliver health and well-being benefits them, which provided NRW funding for the for local groups. In addition, the project has clearing of scrub, mowing rank grassland and restored an area which was unsuitable for to initiate control of Himalayan balsam. The livestock grazing back to a state where it can Scout Association also put their own time and be grazed again. money into the project. We also negotiated

28 Resourcing this work

Achieving the goals we set out above is save, so that we become more efficient in ambitious and will be challenging. Like all the future. public bodies in Wales, we are in an era of declining resources. Whilst we generate We will explore ways to generate more some income from our charges, sales of income for our biodiversity work through, timber and provision of other services, our for example, developing Payment for levels of Grant-in-Aid, staff resources and Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, budgets have been declining since NRW looking at our charging schemes and was established in 2013, and are expected improving our access to external funding to continue to do so. sources.

We will explore new opportunities to work In some cases, we might need to stop in partnership with others towards shared doing some things which we do now, to outcomes, rather than assuming that focus on greater gains in the future. We NRW will meet all these ambitious goals cannot deliver everything, everywhere. alone. We already work in partnership with others across many areas of our work, and We know that converting our ambitions there are further opportunities to work into actions and real outcomes will with local communities, land managers, require us to address questions about businesses, other public bodies and NGOs. the resources needed and to make sometimes difficult decisions about our Much of what we need to do is about priorities. The rates of progress will vary doing things in a different way. It considerably across the many different may mean changing our attitudes, areas of work set out above. organisational culture, emphasis and ways of working, and does not necessarily mean doing more, but does mean doing things differently. Some of the work set under the themes above is about investing to

Next steps

This document represents a statement best evidence and knowledge available for of our aspirations, our intended direction Wales in delivering the Nature Recovery of travel and our ways of working in Action Plan and the Natural Resources delivering our biodiversity and ecosystem Policy, in line with our purpose, duties resilience duty under Section 6 of the and ways of working. As well as setting Environment (Wales) Act 2016. NRW’s biodiversity agenda, many of these areas for action could be relevant to other NRW’s Corporate Plan commits us bodies in delivering their duties under to developing, with our staff and Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act stakeholders, a long term shared vision 2016 and working together to deliver the for Wales’ natural environment to 2050. NRAP. We will use this strategic steer for our biodiversity work as a basis and catalyst These areas for action will need to be for discussions with staff and stakeholders built into our annual business planning about how that vision addresses processes. They will be translated into biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, and more detailed and prioritised annual about what needs to be done to achieve it. programmes of work, with resources allocated and clearly defined outcomes, The six areas for action set out above are responsibilities and milestones. not set in stone but represent the start of an iterative process which builds on the

29 Annex 1: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources: Legal and policy framework

Against the background of declining environment with healthy functioning biodiversity and threats to vital ecosystem ecosystems that support social, services that sustain our economy and economic and ecological resilience society, Wales has a new legal and policy and the capacity to adapt to change framework for a fresh approach for (for example climate change).” responding to the environmental challenges we are facing in the 21st century. The Act requires public bodies to set and publish their well-being objectives. NRW’s The new framework is built on Well-being Objectives are set out in our explicitly recognising - in law - the Corporate Plan up to 2022. interdependencies between biodiversity, the resilience of ecosystems, the range of ecosystem services that ecosystems and NRW’s Well-being Objectives are to: natural resources provide, and the well- WBO1 Champion the Welsh environment being of current and future generations. and the sustainable management At the heart of this new approach is of Wales’ natural resources the principle that biodiversity and (SMNR) ecosystem resilience are fundamental to WBO2 Ensure land and water in Wales our economic, social, environmental and is managed sustainably and in an cultural well-being, and so need to be at integrated way the heart of all decisions about how Wales’ WBO3 Improve the resilience and quality natural resources are used and managed. of our ecosystems WBO4 Reduce the risk to people and What do we mean by natural communities from environmental resources? hazards like flooding and Natural resources are defined in the pollution Environment (Wales) Act 2016 as including: a) Animals, plants and other organisms, b) WBO5 Help people live healthier and Air, water and soil, c) Minerals, d) Geological more fulfilled lives features and processes, e) Physiographical WBO6 Promote successful and feature, f) Climatic features and processes. responsible business, using natural resources without The legal framework for this new damaging them approach is mainly set out in two Acts WBO7 Develop NRW into an excellent of the National Assembly for Wales. organisation, delivering first class The Well-being of Future Generations customer service (Wales) Act 2015 aims to further the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of the people of Wales, both present and future generations. The The Act also requires the Welsh Ministers Act sets out a series of Well-being Goals, to publish National Indicators against which and places a duty on all public bodies, progress towards the achievement of the including NRW, to contribute to the well-being goals is to be assessed. The achievement of those goals. One of these list of 46 National Indicators published by Well-being Goals is for a resilient Wales, Welsh Government in 201611 includes: defined in the Act as: • Areas of healthy ecosystems in Wales “A nation which maintains and • Status of biological diversity in enhances a biodiverse natural Wales

11 National indicators for Wales. Available from www.gov.wales 30 The key purpose of the Environment (Wales) Act 2015 is to promote The nine principles of SMNR sustainable management of natural resources (SMNR) so as to maintain Adaptive management and enhance the resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they Appropriate scale provide, and in doing so meet the needs of present generations without Building resilience compromising the well-being of future generations. The Act establishes Collaboration and engagement SMNR as the core statutory purpose of NRW and explicitly links SMNR Public participation and ecosystem resilience with the achievement of the well-being goals in Evidence the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Section 6 of the Multiple benefits and intrinsic value Environment (Wales) Act 2016 gives NRW and other public authorities a Long term duty to seek to maintain and enhance Preventative action biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, while Section 7 requires the Welsh Ministers to publish a list of species Together these two Acts provide the and habitats of principal importance legal basis for SMNR as the framework for biodiversity and to take reasonable for tackling the challenge of halting and steps to maintain and enhance them. reversing biodiversity loss and securing The Act requires the Welsh Ministers to the resilience of ecosystems and the publish a National Natural Resources benefits to well-being that they provide. Policy (NRP) setting out the key priorities, risks and opportunities for Building on this new legal framework, SMNR. NRW is required to prepare Welsh Government has set out its Area Statements as a key mechanism commitments for biodiversity in the for facilitating implementation of the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales NRP. (NRAP)12. This recognises that a key requirement of SMNR is to ensure that, In addition the Act identifies a series of through the underpinning principle of principles for the application of SMNR. resilient ecosystems, Wales can continue NRW must apply all of these principles to deliver its key UK, European and in the exercise of its functions. international obligations for biodiversity, for example under the Convention for Biological Diversity and other international Sustainable management of natural conventions and treaties. resources Under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, The NRAP underlines the importance of SMNR means using natural resources in a way and at a rate, taking other action biodiversity to well-being and sets out the that promotes, and not taking action ambition and key objectives for nature that hinders, the achievement of the recovery in Wales, which align with many objective of maintaining and enhancing the of the principles of SMNR. resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they provide, in so doing meeting the needs of present generations of people without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs and contributing to the achievement of the well-being goals in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

12 The Nature Recovery Plan for Wales: setting the course for 2020 and beyond. Available from www.gov.wales 31 but it means focussing more effort on Nature Recovery Action Plan strategic and large scale work, both in terms of the practical projects we carry Ambition: To reverse the decline in out our regulatory and advisory work in biodiversity, for its intrinsic value, and to influencing others, including in particular ensure lasting benefits to society. through our work on developing Area Objective 1: Engage and support Statements. To avoid individual species, participation and habitats and protected sites becoming understanding to embed isolated ‘islands’ of biodiversity within an biodiversity throughout impoverished landscape or seascape, we decision making at all levels need to think and work at larger scales Objective 2: Safeguard species and and address pressures on biodiversity and habitats of principal ecosystem resilience in a joined up rather importance and improve than piecemeal way. their management Objective 3: Increase the resilience of We will continue to protect and manage our natural environment by individual sites and species, and support restoring degraded habitats small scale projects, where protecting and habitat creation or restoring habitats at a local scale has Objective 4: Tackle key pressures on wider ecosystem benefits, for example species and habitats by creating or enhancing ecological Objective 5: Improve our evidence, connectivity over a larger landscape understanding and area. Protected sites still represent our monitoring most important and cherished areas for Objective 6: Put in place a framework of biodiversity and, for some habitats and governance and support for species, protected sites or particular delivery localities are especially important for to their long term survival.

Working smarter… The new legal framework and the We are in an era of change and duties on NRW and others defined in uncertainty in terms of environmental the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, threats such as climate change, plant together with the range of existing diseases and invasive non-native species. statutory measures for the protection An adaptive approach is necessary to and enhancement of biodiversity and address problems as they arise, and to the commitments signalled by Welsh take advantage of opportunities. For Government in the NRAP, create a example we need to respond rapidly transformational opportunity for a step to incidents such as flooding, pollution change in NRW’s approach to maintaining incidents in the sea or freshwaters, and enhancing biodiversity in Wales, in and outbreaks of disease, pests and order to deliver multiple benefits for the invasive species, by diverting resources well-being of the people of Wales. In when required and for as long as essence we need to think bigger, work required. Meanwhile, focussing more on smarter, innovate and involve others to preventative action, to be taken by NRW pursue shared outcomes and multiple or by others, can enable us to tackle the benefits. underlying causes of biodiversity loss and poor ecosystem resilience, rather Thinking bigger… than responding in a reactive way to the symptoms or impacts. As well as Focusing on ecosystem resilience and responding rapidly to incidents, we need thinking and working at the appropriate to invest in proactive actions to prevent scales are key requirements of the problems arising in the first place. new legislation. SMNR recognises the important role that protecting key Tackling the root causes of biodiversity species and sites plays in the provision damage rather than trying to control the of ecosystem services and for protecting symptoms, is more likely to deliver gains and improving ecosystem resilience, 32 in the long term, which is another SMNR robust evidence describing the state of principle and of course is fundamental biodiversity and ecosystems and the to looking after the interests of future way they are changing, achieving SMNR generations as well as the present one. also requires evidence on the range of In the interests of taking a more adaptive social, economic and cultural factors, and preventative approach and focussing including lived experience, that drive the on long term goals, at times it may be demand for the use of natural resources. necessary to reduce established roles and The evidence we use can be in the service levels to release resources. This forms that have traditionally been the will require NRW to be a flexible and agile cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, organisation. such as data from environmental surveys and monitoring and the findings of We are also in an era of significant pee-reviewed research, but can also political and economic change. Many come from other approaches such as of NRW’s existing legal obligations and those based on citizen science and measures for biodiversity conservation remote sensing. Combining traditional derive from European legislation. The and non-traditional approaches to the UK’s decision to leave the EU could collection and use of data and evidence significantly change both the legal can generate large volumes of useful framework under which we work and the information that would otherwise be Government policies and economic and impossible or impractical to obtain. social forces that ultimately drive the Greater use of citizen science projects patterns of land and sea use in Wales. also provides further opportunities for NRW will need to be able take advantage individuals and communities to engage of the opportunities that EU exit provides, actively and take more ownership of and to respond effectively to the risks biodiversity initiatives. that it presents. For example, there is potential in Wales to develop a new agricultural support system built from Innovating… the outset on the principle of payments As well as having intrinsic value in their for positive environmental outcomes. own right, biodiversity and ecosystems If SMNR principles, incorporating provide us with multiple benefits. When biodiversity requirements and delivering making decisions affecting natural a range of ecosystem services alongside resources, we need to both plan for high quality food production, can be delivery of multiple benefits wherever fully embedded into systems of public possible and take account of how support for agriculture and other land achieving one set of natural resource uses and development, it could make objectives might impact positively funding levels available for biodiversity or negatively on other objectives. which are orders of magnitude higher Highlighting the range of benefits that than resources available through current biodiversity and ecosystems provide funding streams. Conversely, changes to and their contribution to well-being the economic environment for agriculture across the Well-being Goals, is key and other sectors in Wales as a result of to building public understanding and leaving the EU, or significant reductions support for biodiversity conservation in levels of support payments, could and enhancement. There are also drive profound changes in land use economic opportunities for businesses, patterns across Wales, with unpredictable where environmental improvement impacts on biodiversity and pressures on projects can deliver biodiversity gain ecosystem services. and other ecosystem services alongside commercial objectives. Developing The evidence needed to support SMNR new markets for ecosystem services comes in many forms and from many could unlock significant new sources of different potential sources. We will potential funding for projects to benefit struggle to influence behaviour to achieve biodiversity. better outcomes without understanding the drivers of environmental change. Therefore, as well as needing scientifically

33 Achieving shared outcomes… Nature-based Solutions In terms of the SMNR principle of collaboration and engagement, Wales Nature-based solutions are defined in the Natural Resources Policy as: has already seen significant changes at a local level to the systems for collaborative Solutions that are inspired or planning and management of natural supported by nature, which are cost- effective and simultaneously provide resources, including the establishment environmental, social and economic of Public Services Boards (PSBs), the benefits and help build resilience. application of an enhanced biodiversity duty under the Environment (Wales) Act A similar definition is given by the to a wide range of public authorities, International Union of the Conservation and the requirement for the preparation of Nature (IUCN): of source Area Statements. By enabling Actions to protect, sustainably and encouraging others to develop manage, and restore natural or solutions and biodiversity improvements modified ecosystems, that address in ways which take account of local societal challenges effectively and circumstances and social and economic adaptively, simultaneously providing realities, we can provide benefits which human well-being and biodiversity benefits. are meaningful from a local perspective and more sustainable. Promoting genuine public participation in our work means putting people at the heart of our Closely linked to the focus on ecosystem decision making. By consulting with and resilience and multiple benefits, NRW is facilitating participation by the public committed to the development of nature and local communities wherever possible, based solutions for the management especially in the early stages of project or of natural resources, in line with one plan development, we can foster a sense of the key priorities of the Welsh of shared stewardship and responsibility Government’s Natural Resources Policy.13 for nature. Delivering nature based solutions is one of the three priorities of the Natural Resources Policy. It means working with natural systems and processes, often on a landscape or catchment scale, rather than relying solely on localised engineered or technological solutions. Examples include flood alleviation through river and floodplain habitat restoration, giving space for the natural retention of flood water, adapting forest and farm management to improve water quality, reducing coastal erosion and mitigating the effects of sea level rise by managing and restoring coastal habitats, or enhancing the economic value of fisheries through habitat restoration. As the name suggests, nature- based solutions by definition should provide opportunities for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and improvements to ecosystem resilience, which should always be a key element planned in from the start.

13 Natural Resources Policy, available from www.gov.wales 34 Annex 2: Supporting delivery of Nature Recovery Action Plan objectives and NRW Well-being objectives All six of our areas for action on biodiversity set out in this document are intended to contribute to achieving NRW’s Well-being Objectives and the objectives of the Nature Recovery Action Plan. The table below highlights key linkages.

NRW’s 6 areas for action on biodiversity

Connecting Embedding Improving Working Having Investing people and biodiversity the approach with others the right in the biodiversity into all NRW to protected to maintain/ evidence to knowledge functions sites enhance inform our and skills of biodiversity work our staff

NRAP objectives 1. Embed biodiversity in decision making at all levels 2. Safeguard key habitats and species 3. Increase ecosystem resilience 4. Tackle key pressures

5. Improve evidence and understanding 6. Governance and support for delivery

NRW’s Well-being Objectives WBO1 Champion the environment and SMNR

WBO2 Ensure integrated management of land and water

WBO3 Improve the resilience and quality of ecosystems

WBO4 Reduce the risks from environmental hazards such as flooding and pollution

WBO5 Help people live healthier and more fulfilled lives

WBO6 Promote successful and responsible business

WBO7 Develop NRW into an excellent organisation, delivering first-class customer service

35 Annex 3: List of abbreviations used

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ERAMMP Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring and Modelling Programme FCS Favourable Conservation Status FLW Future Landscapes Wales IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee MPA Marine Protected Area NGO Non-governmental organisation NNR National Nature Reserve NRAP Nature Recovery Action Plan NRP Natural Resources Policy NRW Natural Resources Wales OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic PAWS Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites PSB Public Service Board SAC Special Area of Conservation SMNR Sustainable Management of Natural Resources SoNaRR State of Natural Resources Report SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest WBP Wales Biodiversity Partnership WBO Well-being objective WGWE Welsh Government Woodland Estate

36 Published by: Natural Resources Wales. Cambria House 29 Newport Road © Natural Resources Wales

CF24 0TP All rights reserved. This document may only be reproduced with the 0300 065 3000 (Mon-Fri, 8am - 6pm) @NatResWales written permission of Natural [email protected] @NatResWales Resources Wales www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

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