Rattus is disturbed to hear that NRW is going to lose a lot of staff as its budget has been cut by Welsh Government.  

Though NRW stands for Natural Resources Wales it is in many people’s minds ‘Not Really Working’.

Created by the amalgamation of Forestry, Environment Agency and CCW it still tends to operate as 3 organisations.  

A recent project to clear scrub on an SSSI required time wasting consents from the forestry people and an Environmental Impact Assessment despite being funded by NRW and fully consented by the overworked and very helpful SSSI team.  That is bonkers management.

They have failed to protect rivers like the Wye from pollution.  They are notoriously slow on things like consents for roofing work and bats.  

NRW need to be in the front line of preserving biodiversity in Wales.  They need to be helping to get us to 30x30.  That is 30% of land protected AND in good condition by 2030.  Not a hope.

The consultation on the new National Park is only worth doing if there is significant extra funding. If that funding is not there don’t waste everybody’s time and squander scarce resources.

NRW should be helping landowners with the transition to SFS, being the informed ecological resource that can advise government. It should be stopping threats to our SACs like the Montgomery Canal.

When the pressure gets too great the good people leave. If cuts are threatened morale goes through the floor.

There are solutions. Rattus has frequently called on a visitor tax in Wales to enhance the countryside experience. That will help not hinder the tourist industry.

We should revisit the Barnett formula that funds government in Wales. We have lots of land and a small population.

The revenue from Welsh offshore wind needs to come to Wales not the Treasury.

Now we have a new Labour government the Welsh Government needs to lean on their friends in Westminster.  

Rattus rattus