Report Summary: Conserving Birds and Nature in Wales - Land Management Regimes and Taxpayers' Money
- Rob Beeson
- Jun 24
- 8 min read
Report Commissioned by: Regional Moorland Groups
Author: Simon Denny BA, MA, PhD (May 2025)
Executive Summary
This report examines the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of various land management approaches in conserving and enhancing biodiversity, particularly birdlife, within Wales. It focuses on the RSPB's management of the Lake Vyrnwy reserve, analyzing declines in some red-listed bird species despite substantial taxpayer funding.
The report contrasts the RSPB's approach with successful biodiversity outcomes on privately owned commercial estates and within farmer clusters, highlighting the importance of integrated strategies including habitat management, predator control, and community engagement.
Furthermore, it critiques Welsh Government agricultural policies, such as the Sustainable Farming Scheme, for potential negative impacts on rural economies and biodiversity. Ultimately, the report advocates for policies that empower commercial landowners and farmers to contribute significantly to conservation goals.
Jump to Section
1. Lake Vyrnwy: History, Ownership, and Management
Formation and Early Impact: Lake Vyrnwy was created in 1877 by damming the Vyrnwy valley to supply water to Liverpool. Despite initial criticism, "the lake’s creation in fact brought prosperity and stability to the area," with the Liverpool Corporation acting as a "model landlord and employer" until 1973.
Current Ownership and Management Structure (Post-1973 Water Act):Land Ownership: Hafren Dyfrdwy (Welsh subsidiary of Severn Trent Water since 2018) owns the land.
Water Control: United Utilities controls the water and its extraction.
Conservation Partnership: The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) has an agreement with Severn Trent (since 1996) to manage a wildlife reserve of approximately 5,000 hectares, including an upland in-hand organic farm (Ty-Llwyd).
Key Stakeholders: Hafren Dyfrdwy: Smallest UK water company, operating in north-east and mid-Wales. Claims to provide affordable services. While Hafren Dyfrdwy reported a deficit in 2022-2023, its parent company, Severn Trent, reported significant turnover and profit, indicating profitability at the group level.
United Utilities: UK's largest listed water company, serving over seven million people. Emphasizes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations.
RSPB at Lake Vyrnwy: Manages Ty-Llwyd farm (largest organic farm in England and Wales) "primarily for nature conservation benefits." In November 2022, RSPB leased additional land (Bryn Fawnog) from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to restore it to healthy blanket bog for carbon sequestration and flood alleviation. The RSPB's approach is long-term, "about achieving results over decades, rather than short-term three-to-five year, periods."
William Pears Group: Bought 17 homes on the estate in 2013, but "plays no part in the management of the area."
Llanwddyn Community Council: Locally-elected body representing residents.
2. Community Perceptions and Concerns at Lake Vyrnwy
A 2010 community survey regarding a proposed sale of the estate revealed significant local discontent, particularly concerning the RSPB's role and the perceived lack of socioeconomic benefits:
Criticism of RSPB: Strong sentiment that "the worst thing that happened to Lake Vyrnwy was the RSPB." Locals felt the RSPB "has not really done anything positive for the community in the eyes of the locals," and expressed concerns that "It would be the final nail in the coffin if the RSPB took over. The things that go on here are disgraceful."
Desire for Investment and Local Employment: A clear demand for new ownership to "provide inward investment to reverse the asset stripping that has taken place over the last 30 odd years" and "put greater emphasis on human habitat as opposed to wildlife habitat which has bought the community to its knees."
Preference for Local Management: Support for a "local Bala businessman" who would have "a better knowledge of what the land and residents need and requirements are," suggesting a desire for management that prioritizes local economic and social well-being over solely environmental objectives.
Concerns about Housing: Opposition to Mid Wales Housing Association taking over properties, fearing they would be "filled by BENEFIT cheats and no interest in working," and that low-cost homes would "bring the wrong type of families to Lake Vyrnwy."
3. Conservation Designations and Management Objectives
Designations: Parts of Lake Vyrnwy are designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA), and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These designations require specific conservation objectives and management.
RSPB's 2007 Long-Term Ecological Vision: Aims to "improve the condition and extent of the special features identified in these designations" through "ambitious programme of ditch blocking, controlled grazing and heather management." Targets included increasing hen harrier, merlin, black grouse, and red grouse populations, and re-establishing curlew as a breeding species.
Peatland Restoration: A significant program relaunched in 2020 to re-create a large area of naturally-functioning blanket bog, which is vital for carbon sequestration and flood alleviation.
4. Challenges and Debates in Land Management at Lake Vyrnwy
Management Limitations: The RSPB's ability to manage the "vast Lake Vyrnwy area is a joint endeavour between the RSPB and two very large water companies," meaning Lake Vyrnwy is "just one part of each organisation’s portfolio of complex interests that compete internally for resources."
Controlled Burning and Grazing: Controlled burning ceased in 2003, reportedly due to Severn Trent's concerns about water pollution, despite it being used on other grouse moors within water catchment areas.
Grazing numbers have been "significantly reduced" and mowing "only takes place on a tiny percentage of the upland area," reportedly due to United Utilities' concerns about water pollution and the RSPB's peat restoration work.
Research (Heinemeyer, 2023) suggests that where a site is wet enough, prescribed burning "seems the most suitable option to allow carbon storage, peat growth, reduce heather dominance, increase biodiversity and keep the peatland wet." This implies a blanket ban on burning may not be optimal for conservation and ecosystem services.
Tick Infestation and Bracken Spread: Reduced grazing leads to an increase in ticks, posing health risks (e.g., Lyme disease), and increasing bracken spread.
Bracken "holds c. 70% of the tick load on a moor" and is rapidly spreading at Lake Vyrnwy.
English grouse moors actively manage bracken using various methods (spraying, crushing, grazing, mowing), highlighting a potential gap in management at Lake Vyrnwy.
Bird Population Trends at Lake Vyrnwy: Iolo Williams (co-author of the 1995 RSPB report, Silent Fields) noted a significant decline in curlew pairs on the Berwyn, from 24 to 3, observing that "The curlew have gone... The valleys are quiet."
RSPB's own data for Lake Vyrnwy shows fluctuations and generally low numbers of key species.
This contrasts with the statement that "The Lake Vyrnwy reserve... plays host to populations of priority species such as black grouse, hen harrier, merlin, curlew and the Welsh clearwing moth."
5. Alternative Land Management Models and Their Successes
The report highlights successful land management models by private landowners in the UK, arguing that "commercial agriculture, habitat improvement and predation management can deliver positive outcomes for red-listed birds."
English Grouse Moors (2024 Study of 58 Moors): Demonstrate successful breeding of numerous bird species, including red-listed birds like curlew (12% of UK population fledged), lapwing (9%), and golden plover (10%).
"It is beyond debate that the grouse moors of England are vital for many species of bird, especially increasingly rare waders."
Peer-reviewed research (GWCT, 2023) found "twice as many waders found on grouse moors compared with non-grouse moors."
These are commercial operations and "do not depend on grants from governments," suggesting a cost-effective model for conservation.
All 58 moors had at least two successfully breeding raptor species, with some fledging hen harriers.
Rhug Estate, North Wales: Large commercial estate (12,500 acres) employing over 120 people locally.
Combines traditional country sports and modern activities with farming.
Shows compatibility of commercial interests with environmental improvements.
Raby Estate, Co. Durham: Manages land commercially (farming, property, tourism) and reinvests profits.
Achieves "hugely impressive" results for birds: highest density of waders in mainland Britain, about a third of England's black grouse, and breeding merlin, passerines, and raptors including hen harriers.
Success attributed to "custodianship" and long-term planning (decades-long timescales).
Engages widely with public sector partners and conservation organizations.
Farmer Clusters: Developed by GWCT, these clusters enable farmers to collaborate over larger areas, achieving "landscape-wide scale" benefits for wildlife.
"Pockets of greatness are absolutely useless to Nature."
Over 5,000 farmers in England, Wales, and Scotland are involved, achieving "impressive results."
6. Funding, Policy, and Criticisms of Current Approaches
Taxpayer Money: The RSPB receives significant Welsh taxpayer money, with over £6 million in grants from NRW since April 2018. Some grants are specifically for "helping [RSPB] to write bids" for more funding.
Policy Implications: The Welsh Government's policy of funding organizations like RSPB to write bids "was, in effect, making a policy decision: it was building capacity in the RSPB so it could be a (the?) main player in gaining grants for the conservation of bird life and habitat in Wales."
Disadvantage to Private Landowners: Individual farmers and estates find it "very difficult, if not impossible, to find the time to work on bids to government agencies," despite owning and managing "some three quarters of the land in Wales, and in many cases making a very positive contribution to biodiversity."
Effectiveness of Nature Reserves: The report questions the effectiveness of nature reserves, citing that "Nature Reserves have got bigger and more numerous, but there continues to be a significant decline in bird numbers."
Critique of Welsh Government Policy: Wales is "failing to tackle an alarming decline in nature" due to "lack of action and investment," with legally binding biodiversity targets unlikely to be set until 2029.
Misunderstanding of Rural Communities: Managers at Raby Estate believe the UK government "does not understand how the countryside works," and that "people in the countryside feel like things are done to – rather than with – them."
Afforestation and Carbon Credits: Concerns that large-scale tree planting for carbon offsetting by private equity companies can lead to:
Reduced biodiversity (especially with dense conifer plantations).
Potential net increase in carbon emissions if wrong trees are planted in wrong places (e.g., on peatlands).
Loss of productive agricultural land and erosion of food security.
Lack of care for local communities, Welsh language, and culture by non-Welsh-based companies.
7. Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Integrated Approach Needed: Effective conservation and land management require a long-term, landscape-scale approach that integrates economic viability with environmental goals. "Conservation will ultimately boil down to rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest." (Aldo Leopold)
RSPB's Challenges at Lake Vyrnwy: While RSPB's vision for Lake Vyrnwy is long-term and aims for significant habitat restoration, its management is constrained by agreements with water companies, particularly regarding burning and grazing, which may impede optimal biodiversity outcomes and effective bracken/tick control. Local community relations also appear strained.
Success of Commercial Landowners: Case studies of English grouse moors, Rhug Estate, and Raby Estate demonstrate that commercial operations, when managed with a long-term custodianship mindset, can be highly effective in maintaining and increasing biodiversity, especially for rare bird species, and can do so without significant reliance on government grants.
Policy Misalignment: Current Welsh Government policy, by heavily subsidizing large NGOs for grant applications, may inadvertently hinder the capacity and recognition of private landowners and farmers who manage the majority of the land and contribute significantly to biodiversity. There is a call for greater engagement and collaboration with rural communities.
Beyond Reserves: The report strongly implies that a focus solely on expanding nature reserves may not be the most effective strategy for reversing biodiversity declines, and that working with farmers and landowners on a landscape scale is crucial.
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