Written question WQ83308
- Asked by
- Joel JamesConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Climate Change
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
Will the Minister make a statement on the programmes the Welsh Government is developing to tackle non-native invasive species which damage woodland habitats?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Climate Change
We work with our partners, including Natural Resources Wales, the third sector, industry and the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat, to determine priority actions to manage invasive non-native species (INNS) in Wales.
The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 introduced new enforcement powers to help address priority INNS issues in Wales at an early stage.
In recognition of the impacts of INNS on woodland we have contributed towards the five-year, £7m EU LIFE Programme Celtic Rainforest Project. The project aims to secure the long-term future of the majestic oak forests of North Wales for future generations to enjoy by clearing Rhododendron and reducing populations of other INNS, including Himalayan balsam, and introducing mechanisms for long-term management.
We have agreed £0.5m for the Wales Resilient Ecological Network Project[1] to develop a collaborative framework that will help public and private bodies and community groups to work together to tackle the significant impacts of INNS in Wales and develop an INNS prevention and biosecurity strategy for Wales by mid-2023.
To support the creation of a National Forest, we recently made funding available via the Woodland Investment Grant, which included support to remove INNS.
[1] Wales Resilient Ecological Network (WaREN) | North Wales Wildlife Trust