CYFOETHIssue 2 // August 2013News from Natural Resources Wales

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our recent corporate plan seminars. We held seven seminars over four days and your ideas and contributions gave us a great platform to plan for the future. We will now be analysing the responses and drafting our draft Corporate Plan, which we will consult on in the autumn. The newsletter this month has a focus on access and recreation - one of our priority areas. A fitting topic given all this good weather we’ve enjoyed over the past weeks. We want to develop our work in two ways – by providing quality locations and facilities that support the full spectrum of activities, and by enabling everyone to participate. Wales has some of the poorest health statistics in Western Europe. This impacts on our economy and places a huge burden on our public services. Only 27% of the population take some form of outdoor recreation frequently, and physical inactivity alone indirectly costs Wales some £650million every year.

Editorial

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T his year more licence holders than ever will take to the cockle beds of the Dee Estuary. Between 1993 and 2007, the cockle beds were closed more often than they were open, with eight out of the fifteen seasons not able to support any cockling. When it was open, hundreds would be eligible for a permit, and the season would often last no more than a few days.

In 2008, with the introduction of the new licensing system, 50 cocklers were able to fish sustainably for six months of the year - a number that has now grown to 53 as all three of the young apprentices have now completed their qualifications to become fully-fledged cocklers.

It is also the second season that the beds have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.

The numbers of young cockles produced can vary greatly from year to year. This means that a single good year for producing young cockles can keep the fishery going for four or five years - if we manage it in the right way. This year the number of cockles seems to be lower and so we will keep on trying to get the right balance – ensuring that the cockle beds become a thriving sustainable fishery rather than a return to the boom and bust industry of the past.

Dee Cockle beds open

// This is the second season that the beds have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a sustainable and well-managed fishery.

Meet the North and Mid Wales Team

T im Jones, Executive Director for Operations North and Mid Wales introduces his patch!”Sometimes I still have to stop my car

and spend a few minutes taking in the views so I don’t forget how lucky we are to work in such a beautiful country with such a richness of natural resources.

“My team covers Wrexham and Flintshire in the North East of Wales, Anglesey in the far North to Builth Wells, the Cambrian Mountains in the South, Cardigan Bay and the Llŷn in the far West; covering seven local authorities.

“Our work includes managing some of the largest public forest areas in Wales with their world class mountain biking facilities and looking after three quarters of Wales’s National Nature Reserves. We work closely with our local authority partners and the Snowdonia National Park to encourage access and enjoyment

of our wonderful countryside, including the coastal path, and help develop the economic benefits that communities can gain from this. Our teams also work to ensure we keep people safe from flooding and that our rivers and seas are clean, free from pollution and full of life.

“We face constant challenges; to ensure that we work effectively with developers of renewable energy projects and other programmes in balancing protection of the environment, its wildlife and landscape, with helping Wales develop as a nation. The year-long public inquiry into the Mid Wales wind farms and grid connwection and the Energy Island Programme on Anglesey are the most complex of these at the moment. We are also working with farmers and fishermen to manage the natural environment sustainably in a very challenging economic climate.”

// Our work includes managing some of the largest public forest areas in Wales and looking after three quarters of our organisation’s National Nature Reserves.

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Issue 2 // August 2013 News from Natural Resources Wales

Tim Jones (second from right) and the Operations North and Mid Wales Leadership Team; (from left to right) Rhian Jardine, Ruth Jenkins and Mike Davies.

In this edition you can read about some of our initiatives to promote healthy living. Natural Resources Wales may be one of the biggest providers of outdoor recreation in Wales, with 550 kilometres of mountain bike trails, 135 kilometres of horse riding trails, 450 kilometres of walking trails, 5 visitor centres and 75 picnic sites. But we cannot achieve our aspirations alone. We work with partners to ensure that the health, wealth and enjoyment aspects of outdoor recreation are enjoyed by all.

Dr Emyr Roberts

Emyr Roberts

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Wales’ natural heritage gives us plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurial activities. The high quality of the natural environment in Wales is already recognised as a significant factor in attracting visitors and an important driver of economic and social well-being. Over 130,000 are already employed in jobs associated with the natural environment, and have an output of nearly £2,000 million.

Two major projects have benefitted from Communities and Nature Funding, an European Funded Project, administered by Natural Resources Wales.

At NewboroughMajor improvement work at

Newborough Forest on Anglesey, including a refurbished beach car park, gently graded smooth footpaths, refurbished toilet block, BBQ area, extra picnic benches and 20 bicycle stands has been completed. Visitors will also be able to use the newly created routes and trails on foot, bicycle or on horseback by following colour-coded posts and signs around the Natural Resources Wales managed forest and coastline.

The trails are graded to suit all abilities and include a trim trailthat can be used by everyone including wheelchair users.

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Issue 2 // August 2013 News from Natural Resources Wales

In Focus

Access and RecreationIt’s hoped that two walking routes will soon have MP3 discs so that visitors can follow an audio trail narrated by TV celebrity Iolo Williams informing them of the local history and nature in Newborough.

People of all abilities can now use the 200 metre timber boardwalk which threads its way through the trees and sand dunes to the viewing platform and admire the stunning scenery of Newborough beach, Llanddwyn Island and the entire Snowdonia mountain range.Children from Newborough junior school recently visited the forest for a guided tour of the work and helped design carvings for a feature ‘totem-pole’ which will be sited at the car park entrance and be the focus of the meeting point area.

At Ogwen…Around 125,000 visitors come to the

Ogwen Valley, one of the gateways to Snowdonia, every year. Recently new visitor facilities were officially opened, welcoming visitors to one of Wales’s most awe-inspiring landscapes.

The Cwm Idwal Partnership (an initiative which includes Snowdonia National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales and the National Trust) has led the work of developing the new facilities that include a new exhibition on the Cwm and surrounding mountains, an office, toilets, changing areas, and a food and drink kiosk.

The new centre will improve people’s understanding and enjoyment of Cwm Idwal and the Ogwen Valley. Guided walks will start from the centre over the summer months - giving walkers the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, two hundred years on.

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Issue 2 // August 2013 News from Natural Resources Wales

We have developed a number of smart phone apps as a quick and easy way of getting information to make the most of your days out.

On the beach...Newly available is the Wales Coast

App which showcases the diversity of the Welsh coast - perfect for planning your holidays and making the most of a holiday in Wales! Natural Resources Wales supported the charity Keep Wales Tidy to develop this app that contains detailed information on 150 beaches including: how to get there, the awards they hold, the facilities such as toilets, car parks and lifeguards, as well as the nearby wildlife and historical attractions.

It also contains details about the route and gradient of the Wales Coast Path, live weather links and tide timetables. Because the smart phone knows the user’s location, the app can also find the nearest beach and allow the user to search for the facilities they are looking for.

...Or in the forest!More than 10,000 users are now

regularly using the ForestXplorer app as the ultimate guide to the forest. Visitors can find their local Natural Resources Wales forest park, search for what events are taking place across the country and download handy trail maps so that you can easily find your way around the forest.

It also has an award-winning handy tree identifier! The educational and fun app includes a photo gallery, common tree identifier and unique 3D tree illustrations. Users can identify a tree using its bark, seed or leaf within just a few clicks.

Access and RecreationThe apps to help you on your way Our rivers, lakes and coastline are cleaner and healthier than they have ever been, but many of

our water resources are under-utilised for public recreation. And so as in past years, Natural Resources Wales will manage Splash, the water recreation challenge fund for Wales.

Splash provides grants to projects that help people enjoy water-based activitiesin Wales; whether supporting wheelchair access to Barry beach, providing new equipment for canoe clubs, or training individuals to lead on water safety and

adventure sports. Splash is all about partnership.

Working with the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, a Reservoir Passport Scheme is being piloted this year to allow groups that are full members of the South Wales Outdoor Activity Providers Group to canoe and kayak on the Pontsticill, Pentwyn, Usk and Beacons reservoirs. The scheme was launched with the co-operation of Dŵ r Cymru. Funding is available for more projects. If you have any project ideas please contact Matthew Strickland

Making a Splash…

With increased access comes increased personal responsibility and at the Royal Welsh Show we launched a new range of codes of conduct for canoeing, angling and wild swimming.

Drafted in partnership with small working groups which involved user

groups, landowners and others with expertise, the Codes are designed to advise people using Wales’s inland water on how to enjoy their activities without damaging the resource they are using, or disturbing the communities around them.

...but doing so responsibly!

// With increased access comes increased personal responsibility and at the Royal Welsh Show we launched a new range of codes of conduct for canoeing, angling and wild swimming.

Round UpAward winning!The 870-mile long Wales Coast Path recently won the coveted Silver Jubilee Cup at the Royal Town Planning Awards for Excellence. The judges said that the Path was an ‘inspiration’ to other planners.

The team’s entry reflected the efforts of all partners involved, including Natural Resources Wales, sixteen local authorities and two national parks, towards delivering the Welsh Government vision, of officially opening the world’s first continuous footpath around a country’s coastline.

Young poets find inspiration at local beauty spots

Children from seven primary schools in Denbighshire have been out and about, exploring woodlands on their doorstep and learning about the value of trees. Back in the classroom, the pupils re-captured their experiences through poetry. There to help them were former Children’s Poets Twm Morys and Meirion Macintyre Huws.

The pupils will present their poems at a special event in the National Eisteddfod in Denbighshire on Saturday 3 August.

After hearing the children read their work aloud, Eisteddfod-goers will hopefully be inspired to visit Denbighshire’s nature sites and country parks.

Why not call in and see us – we will be on the Eisteddfod field.

News

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Issue 2 // August 2013 News from Natural Resources Wales

Provisional Maps to be published

Ten years ago, officers from the Countryside Council for Wales surveyed the length and breadth of Wales’s mountain, moor, heath and common land to mark up, on OS maps, the areas which would be open to walkers.

Natural Resources Wales is required by law to review these maps at least every ten years. The review process has already started and staff have been assessing the 230 requested changes, visiting land to check out proposals, and updating maps when required.

Because of the quality of the

original mapping work, we haven’t seen dramatic changes – but some amendments are needed, for example if there have been changes in land use or if boundaries need modifying.

The All Wales provisional maps of open access land will be published on 7 August 2013. We will write to all those who have submitted representations and to those where new access land may be added. Once the appeals process has finished we will issue a conclusive map in September 2014.

Report on Environmental damage to Llyn Padarn

An in-depth year-long investigation by Natural Resources Wales has found that water quality in a popular North Wales lake was damaged in 2009.

Llyn Padarn in Llanberis was affected by an algal bloom in 2009 which effectively closed the lake during the summer months. The report shows that a stricter limit on Dŵ r Cymru Welsh Water’s sewage treatment works in

Llanberis in 2010 stabilised the situation.Last year Dŵ r Cymru Welsh Water

announced plans for a major investment to its sewage network in the area. It would involve all sewage being piped away from Llanberis to another sewage treatment plant below the lake. This would help improve the water quality in Llyn Padarn.

News

www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Issue 2 // August 2013 News from Natural Resources Wales

In our last newsletter, we updated you on the spread of the ramorum disease of larch and the work programme Natural Resources Wales has in place to stop its progress. This work is ongoing, and will inevitably mean some disruption to visitor access to the woodlands of Wales, including around visitor centres.

Felling of infected larch has already taken place at Afan Forest Park in South Wales and is happening now at Garwnant visitor centre site – one of the gateways to the Brecon Beacons National Park. Harvesting work is planned for both Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre site near Aberystwyth and Coed y Brenin visitor centre site near Dolgellau.

But the woodlands of Wales are open for business. There may be some path closures where felling is occurring – this is normal in working forests and we ask visitors to heed the signs they see.

Diseases such as ramorum are a worrying threat because they are difficult to combat but easy to spread,

often being dispersed naturally by airborne spores. Biosecurity measures to reduce the risk of disease spread are increasingly important for forest management operations in and around infected areas. But there are simple steps we can all take to prevent diseases hitching a free ride when we visit the countryside.

We are asking visitors to help limit the spread of the disease by keeping to paths, cleaning mud from footwear, brushing mud from horses and dogs and washing bikes and bike tyres. These simple measures could help stop the spread of these diseases.

We have commissioned two short films aimed at mountain bikers and general woodland visitors, encouraging responsible behaviour. They can be viewed on our You Tube channel.

You can use the Tree Alert smart phone app and web form to report any suspected diseased trees. These can found at www.forestry.gov.uk/ tree alert or you can call us on 0300 065 3000.

Don’t give tree disease a free ride!

// Felling of infected larch has already taken place at Garwnant visitor centre site – one of the gateways to the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Round UpNew ICT apprenticeship scheme

A new apprenticeship scheme will start this September for students looking to develop a career in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The scheme, named ‘Cyfoeth’, will provide college and sixth form students with two years paid experience working amongst ICT professionals at the organisation’s office in Bangor.

During the apprenticeship, developed in conjunction with Microsoft, young people will be able to work towards an industry recognised qualification. The apprenticeship opportunities will be advertised on the Natural Resources Wales website.

Championships come to North Wales

Over 150 athletes from 20 countries across the world descended on Gwydr Forest, near Llanrwst, to challenge themselves on a 75km course of steep woodland terrain. The ultra trail event was deemed a huge success and athletes and onlookers from across the globe were inspired by the dramatic backdrop.

This international championship shows how much of a draw Wales’s natural environment is to people and to world class events.