Number: WG31811 Welsh Government Consultation Document Taking Forward Wales’ Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Date of issue: 21 June 2017 Action required: Responses by 30 September 2017 Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg. This document is also available in Welsh. © Crown Copyright Overview We are consulting on a number of proposals, which seek to further deliver our commitment to manage our natural resources more sustainably to deliver lasting economic, social and cultural, as well as environmental benefits, to ensure the continued prosperity of Wales. How to respond Responses to this consultation should be E-mailed/posted to the address below to arrive by 30 September 2017 Further information Large print, Braille and alternative language and related versions of this document are available on documents request. Environment (Wales) Act 2016 Contact details For further information: Natural Resources Management Team Welsh Government Cathays Park Pillar J08 East Core CF10 3NQ Email: [email protected] Data protection How the views and information you give us will be used Any response you send us will be seen in full by Welsh Government staff dealing with the issues which this consultation is about. It may also be seen by other Welsh Government staff to help them plan future consultations. The Welsh Government intends to publish a summary of the responses to this document. We may also publish responses in full. Normally, the name and address (or part of the address) of the person or organisation who sent the response are published with the response. This helps to show that the consultation was carried out properly. If you do not want your name or address published, please tell us this in writing when you send your response. We will then blank them out. Names or addresses we blank out might still get published later, though we do not think this would happen very often. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 allow the public to ask to see information held by many public bodies, including the Welsh Government. This includes information which has not been published. However, the law also allows us to withhold information in some circumstances. If anyone asks to see information we have withheld, we will have to decide whether to release it or not. If someone has asked for their name and address not to be published, that is an important fact we would take into account. However, there might sometimes be important reasons why we would have to reveal someone’s name and address, even though they have asked for them not to be published. We would get in touch with the person and ask their views before we finally decided to reveal the information. Ministerial Foreword In Wales, our natural resources are fundamental to our nation and we are committed to ensuring they are managed sustainably to deliver lasting economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits. This will also help us to achieve the goals in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Over the last few years, we have built a reputation as a world leader in legislating for sustainable development and we are determined to build on that reputation. The UK’s exit from the EU is not without challenges; however it can provide new opportunities for Wales to pursue the sustainable management of natural resources. The long-term resilience of our economy and society is dependent on the resilience of our ecosystems. In Wales, we must not reverse our progress or hinder our ability to improve environmental standards; we must take opportunities to build on them. Our reputation for high-quality produce, for example, is based on the standards we adhere to in relation to human health, animal health, welfare and the environment. Our landmark Environment (Wales) Act established the legislative framework for the sustainable management of natural resources in Wales. The Act and the creation of the world-first body – Natural Resources Wales (NRW) – were the first steps towards providing a coherent approach to the management of our natural resources. There are still challenges ahead – the resilience of our ecosystems and our biodiversity continues to decline and the ever-present and overarching challenge of climate change means we must consider where and how we can improve our regulatory framework to ensure we not only support but align to this framework. The sustainable management of our natural resources is a key contributor to green growth as our sectors rely on their services and this approach helps to improve competitiveness; contributes to addressing resource security concerns and creates growth and jobs, as well as making an important contribution to maintaining and enhancing our natural resources. The regulatory framework has to enable us to take forward both existing and emerging opportunities to provide for these economic, social and environmental opportunities. This Consultation follows on from our extensive work on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and the Environment (Wales) Act and will support delivery of a cross-cutting agenda to support Wales’ future development to ensure we can benefit from the significant opportunities the sustainable management of our natural resources provides. This paper sets out a number of key proposals to help us continue meeting our objective of managing our natural resources more sustainably. 4 Together, the proposals demonstrate the Welsh Government’s commitment to systematically identify where we believe reform is necessary to ensure we are equipped to sustainably manage our natural resources in preparation for the significant challenges and opportunities we face in the future, not least the decision for the UK to leave the EU. I am committed to ensuring we maintain and enhance the resilience of our natural resources and ecosystems – to achieve this we need to consider all the potential opportunities to modernise and improve the regulatory framework for the benefit of Wales. I welcome your views on the proposals contained in this Consultation. 5 Table of Contents Ministerial Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Background ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Case for Change .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Summary of key proposals ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1: Towards the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources ...................................... 15 Chapter 2: Forestry .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 What issues are we considering? ...................................................................................................................... 19 Current Position ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 3: Designated Landscapes .................................................................................................................... 28 What issues are we considering? ...................................................................................................................... 28 Current Position ............................................................................................................................................................ 29 What changes are we proposing? ..................................................................................................................... 29 Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter 4: Access to Outdoors ................................................................................................................................ 35 Current Position ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 What changes are we proposing? ..................................................................................................................... 37 Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 5: Marine and Fisheries ............................................................................................................................