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Local Authorities and Sustainable Peatland Management: Current Opportunities and Future Possibilities for Local Approaches
Private Landowners
NRW is the central organisation in working with private landowners in designated areas such as SSSIs and SACs, and in other aspects of land use management such as forestry and river basin management. However, local authorities also help shape land management practices in the local area through their core regulatory functions in terms of land use planning, flood prevention and access to land. Private landowners include a variety of different types of individual/organisation from large privately owned estates to small farms. Much of the uplands of Wales is common land which means navigating the complex relationship between land ownership and commons rights in these areas. Farmers are signficant private landowners with respect to peatlands and the rules related to agriculture payment schemes are important in supporting nature-based solutions such as SPM. The Agricultural (Wales) Bill 2022 creates a new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) that has significant potential to support farmers in SPM. This funding is managed by Welsh Government, but local authorities can consider how they might work with farmers to help them access funds to support SPM. This may also further wider local authority priorities, such as natural flood prevention works. In addition, guidance has been produced by the National Farmers Union, for local authorities in England, on Net Zero and agriculture. This suggests a range of ways that local authorities can promote carbon storage in farming, not just through funding schemes but, for example, in procurement. Other possibilities for local authority support include facilitating private finance for ‘small scale’ nature-based solutions on farms.
Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water)
Peatlands are wetlands and ecohydrology is essential to SPM. Dwr Cymru’s operations are, therefore, also significant to SPM. Dwr Cymru’s statutory responsibilities relate to the supply and quality of drinking water and the company owns land to facilitate this. It also works with NRW on River Basin Management Plans, on which local authorities are also consulted and must have regard to. Dwr Cymru recognises the importance of ‘catchment’ approaches to water quality in areas such as the Brecon Beacons Mega Catchment and has worked with other agencies in wetland restoration projects. A note on law, land ownership and SPM: This report is written from the perspective of the regulatory frameworks for the powers and responsibilities of local authorities to support SPM (and those related to partnership working). However, there are clearly many significant issues with respect to land rights including the role of land management agreements, the impact of tenancy agreements and rights over commons. These issues also require further consideration.
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