Ecosystems
Ecosystem Services
Background
The importance of the natural environment within the Cambrian Mountains is evident, with 15% of the land designated as internationally important for wildlife under the European Habitats Directive (Special Areas of Conservation & Special Protection Areas) and a further 2% designated as being of National Importance (Sites of Special Scientific Interest). Of course the landscape we see today also reflects centuries of human activity and the Cambrian Mountains retain many relics of our own past. There are 309 Scheduled Ancient Monuments (i.e. of national importance), 321 Listed Buildings and three substantial designated areas on the ICOMOS UK Registers of Landscapes of Outstanding and Special Interest in Wales.
The area provides an excellent opportunity to work in close partnership with the farming community to lead the way in experimenting with and identifying new approaches to sustainable multi-purpose land management in the uplands (Ecosystem Services delivery) with potential supporting payments that recognise the experimental nature of the process.
The project area is based on the Cambrian Mountains landscape character assessment map of Wales and covers an area of almost 197,000ha (1970 km2). The aims are to demonstrate integrated and sustainable rural development in a rural setting integrating our work with the aspirations and objectives of the people in the area. The Initiative is seeking to raise the quality of the landscape and to connect its people with their environment, influencing them to adopt lifestyles to safeguard it better.
Link to: Cambrian Mountains Initiative Map and 10km Boundary
Link to: Cambrian Mountains Scoping Study Summary Report April 08
Drivers to Cambrian Mountains Initiative
Within Wales there a growing number of national policy and governance drivers which are pointing inexorably to the need for more integration in policy and delivery. The Cambrian Mountains Initiative will be an exemplar for a number of National Assembly policies, thus the following will be key drivers:
· The Environment Strategy and Action Plan
· Farming for the future and recently Farming, Food and Countryside: building a secure future
· Woodlands for Wales (also under revision, consultation document out)
· Renewable Energy Routemap and the forthcoming Energy Strategy
· Climbing Higher
· Planning Policy Wales and the Wales Spatial Plan
· Starting to Live Differently (Sustainable Development Strategy)
· Making the Connections