The National Sheep Association (NSA) and Welsh Commons Forum are to formalise and clarify their relationship, with the WCF becoming part of NSA.
Following a Welsh Commons Forum meeting in early August, where it was unanimously agreed the group would formally like to become part of NSA, and agreement by the NSA Board in mid-August, the wheels are now in motion for the forum to be incorporated within the association.
Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, says: “The interests of commons graziers and rights holders throughout the UK are central to those of the NSA and we are pleased to formalise our relationship with the Welsh Commons Forum. This will give a natural extension to our work and I hope it will further strengthen the critical role that the farmer and grazier plays in managing commons in Wales.
“Much of the common land in Wales is upland in nature and these areas are not just iconic and treasured by the public, but they are often are the foundation of our sheep system too. They hold important genetic traits of sheep, and cattle and ponies too, and our commons would not be the valued landscapes they are without having been grazed for generations. The future of our commons and the future of upland sheep farming go hand in hand.”
As well as meeting regularly with ministers and Government officials, the Welsh Commons Forum holds quarterly meetings for the wide range of commons associations and individuals involved. The forum discusses pressing issues and takes these forward with the aim of promoting the importance of farming and grazing commons in Wales, and to protect the interests of common rights holders. The forum will now become a specialised part of NSA with close links to the NSA Cymru/Wales Region.
For more information about the NSA Welsh Commons Forum, including how commons associations and rights holders can join, contact NSA on 01684 892661 or enquiries@nationalsheep.org.uk.
