RHONDDA CYNON TAF ACTION FOR NATURE PLAN
1.
Encourage Conservation Grazing
Further expand and invest in the RCT Conservation Grazing project. Develop best biodiversity practice for all RCT Council grazing licences, promote through the Living Landscapes project and support other conservation graziers.
2.
Protect grasslands from tree planting
Seek engagement with Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government - raise the profile grassland conservation in RCT as a means to protect important sites and grassland types from tree planting.
3.
Mowing for Wildflowers
Continue to maintain the RCT Council cut and collect machinery capacity and increase the hectarage included in the scheme year on year. Share best practice and support other landowners, especially in the public sector, to 'cut and collect' their grass. Promote through the Living Landscapes project.
4.
Follow the Butterfly
Continue to promote and raise awareness of the fundamentals of grassland conservation and management with the public, companies, organisations and decision makers through the 'Follow the Butterfly' campaign. Provide opportunities for community participation in 'Grab a Rake' and on Living Landscapes Project sites.
5.
Work with land managers
Work with PONT Cymru to support farmers/ land managers in the creation and maintenance of species-rich grasslands e.g. by supporting a market for produce from conservation grasslands.
6.
Pollinators in horse pasture
Work with the British Horse Society and PONT Cymru to promote good practise around horse grazing.
7.
Healthy Hillsides
Maintain grasslands in ffridd habitats and protect them from burning, such as through Healthy Hillsides project.
8.
Sewage Sludge and Digestor Liquor
Seek discussions with NRW about preventing damage to semi-natural grasslands from the use of the liquor produced through anaerobic digestion, sewage sludge consenting and other novel fertilizers.
9.
Grasslands in Schools and Colleges
Promote wildflower grassland management in RCT Schools i.e. change to cut and collect management around playing fields to create short flowering lawns and meadow patches.
10.
Raking Not Seeding
Raise awareness of the importance of management over seed sowing, and the threat to native wildflowers from introduced seed. Campaign for funding to support awareness raising and management instead of seeding.
11.
NRW Grassland Management
Support NRW to undertake grassland restoration and management within the Welsh Government Woodland Estate.
12.
Natural Regeneration
In restoration and/or landscaping schemes promote the natural regeneration of grassland habitats through the reduction of soil nutrients to more natural levels, protecting the local seedbank and fungal resource, and through conservation management.
13.
Start a Meadows Group
Start a meadows group for RCT (and neighbouring counties) to support meadow creation, restoration and management of grasslands.
14.
Living Landscapes Project
Continue to develop the network of appropriately managed species-rich grasslands, grass verges and open spaces across the County Borough as part of the RCT Living Landscape Project.
15.
Waxcap Maps
Create a waxcap map to inform appropriate management of these grasslands and help protect them from inappropriate tree planting. Encourage participation in waxcap surveys by promoting the WaxcApp.
Grasslands in RCT
Agriculture in the South Wales Valleys is based on pasture and livestock rearing. Climate, soils and topography all favour the growing of grass for the rearing of grazing animals and sometimes the growing of hay as winter feed. Before the advent of artificial fertilisers and herbicides, and mechanised farming, the farmed grasslands of Britain were also a huge reservoir of wildflower rich habitats. However, in parts of Britain that is no longer the case, and as a result flower rich grasslands are now rarely seen. Luckily, in Rhondda Cynon Taf we still have a lot of important biodiversity grassland habitat. This action plan describes the main types of grasslands within Rhondda Cynon Taf, the action needed to protect and manage sites and the opportunities to raise awareness about this much misunderstood habitat.
The County Borough supports five main types of grassland, which you can find out more about by clicking the boxes below.
In addition, the following habitats have grassland components:
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RCT Wildflower Grassland Policy