POWYS County Council will be working in tandem with a whole host of organisations across the county to help reverse the decline in nature.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s cabinet on Tuesday, March 1, councillors unanimously approved the Nature Recovery Plan which is hoped will create more resilient ecosystems.

The plan is based ongoing discussion through the Powys Nature Partnership for the last five years to agree what they need to do to help nature recovery within Powys.

It builds on the work of the Powys Local Biodiversity Action Plan which had a number of specific plans to deal with issues affecting natural habitat and animal species.

These include – Coniferous Woodland, Rivers and Streams, Traditional Orchards, to Brown Trout, European Otter, Red Squirrel and the Red Kite.

Head of highways, transport and recycling, Matt Perry said:

“The plan is primarily t intended to guild the work of the Powys Nature Partnership.”

This is a group of organisations that cover the whole of Powys and includes Natural Resources Wales (NRW), various wildlife organisations including the  National Trust,  The Wye and Usk foundation, local experts and wildlife recorders.

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has its own partnership and recovery plan.

M Perry added:

“It is an aspirational 10-year plan and will be regularly reviewed in response to circumstances.

“As things evolve so will the plan with it.”

He said that much of the partnership’s work would be grant funded.

Mr Perry also pointed out that the council has a legal obligation as part of the Environment Wales Act that it “seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the exercise of its functions.”

Mr Perry added that the plan would work link in with the Climate Change Strategy which was also presented in the meeting.

Cllr Myfanwy Alexander said:

“It is important that these two papers, the Climate Change Strategy and the Nature Recover Plan should be seen as working together, one won’t happen unless the other does as well.

“In a sense these are the left and right hands of our plan for the environment in Powys.”

Council leader, Cllr Rosemarie Harris added:

“I’m quite pleased to see that we’re working in partnership, under no circumstances can the county council do everything, it has to be a broad responsibility.”