In the Autumn of 2014 the Pumlumon Living Landscape (PLL) project, led by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, became one of 20 successful Nature Fund recipients.
This £6million funding pot, announced by the Welsh Government in July 2013, was designed to tackle the continued decline in biodiversity across Wales as highlighted by the State of Nature Report. Projects ranged from work to improve river catchments and marine ecosystems, to peatland restoration and a community project focused on woodland management.
The PLL region of the Cambrian Mountains, one of seven Nature Action zones, supports the largest watershed in Wales and is the source of the nationally important Wye, Severn, and Rheidol rivers. Since 2009, the PLL has been working with local landowners to revitalize Pumlumon’s important habitats and local communities, pioneering a sustainable upland economy for Wales based on the delivery of key ecosystem services.
Landowners within the Pumlumon Living Landscape meet Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Food and Farming - Photo credits Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
The PLL Nature Fund project was two- fold. Building on the work already undertaken in the project area, this funding was used to pilot the establishment of a mechanism to support landowners within the PLL area to directly market the ecosystem services generated from their holdings to the emerging 'Payment for Ecosystem Services' or 'PES' marketplace – the Peatland Code in this case.
The project also delivered sustainable land management on the ground through the creation 3km of species-rich hedgerow on a 60acre smallholding within the Hafren Forest: delivering water quality and quantity benefits whilst facilitating habitat connectivity.
Liz Lewis-Reddy, Head of Living Landscapes at Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust
