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Dana Thomas

In the last few weeks the Welsh Government has submitted its proposals to Europe for how it plans to spend it’s Rural Development Budget for the next seven years. This is a critical period for anybody interested in the natural world as this includes the year (2020) by which  European Governments have committed to halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity.

This means getting the right tools in place is critical if farmers are to contribute to achieving the Welsh Government’s commitment to stopping the loss of nature from our countryside. This is the reason RSPB Cymru campaigned to ensure Glastir, the Welsh Government’s main tool for achieving this goal, is fit for purpose.

Earlier this year hundreds of RSPB supporters contacted the Minister for Natural Resources and Food and responded to the Welsh Government review asking that Glastir:

  • Forms part of a wider, budgeted plan to tackle wildlife declines
  • Equips farmers with the tools for success
  • Provides everything wildlife needs for feeding, breeding and resting
  • Targets our best sites for wildlife

RSPB Cymru welcomed many of the proposals for updating Glastir, which have been included in the Rural Development Plan submitted to Europe. The decision to remove options that provide little or no environmental benefit, but utilise large amounts of public money, is particularly welcome as this money can now be targeted where it will deliver most benefit and support those farms with most to offer. And the proposal for cooperative action across farms to introduce coordinated management for wildlife, as well as other environmental outputs across farms is also welcome as wildlife often requires beneficial management at the landscape level.

We also welcome the proposal to clarify what Glastir is expected to deliver as this is a vital step towards developing a wider plan to achieve the Welsh Governments commitment to halting biodiversity loss by 2020.

However, the following important elements of the scheme remain unclear and we look forward to receiving further information, from Welsh Government, as soon as possible on:

  • the framework of support proposed under the new scheme – as ongoing advice and guidance will be critical to success
  • the prioritisation process for applications – to ensure that those farms which are of most environmental value are prioritised
  • the small grant scheme – helps the Welsh Government to deliver against it’s environmental objectives for climate change and wildlife

So, with your help, we have made positive changes to Glastir, although how positive is still to be seen, now we need to keep the pressure on the Welsh Government to ensure Glastir helps farmers give nature a home in Wales.