 REINDEER, elk, wild horses and eagles could rule the roost over huge swathes of Wales as poverty stricken upland farmers finally run up the white flag of surrender. At least that's the scenario painted by environmentalists who warn it could be just 10 or 15 years away. The Cheltenham-based Wilderness Foundation came up with the explosive plans as they sought solutions to the situation many Welsh hill farmers are likely to find themselves in when EU agriculture grants are likely to be savagely cut in the future. The Foundation has identified a huge two million acres throughout the UK, comprising of forestry and poor quality farmland, that could potentially be allowed to transform itself into wildlands where long-extinct species could be reintroduced and encouraged to re-establish themselves. It includes large parts of Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, the Elan Valley and the Plymlimon range in Ceredigion. The Foundation forsees farmers fulfilling new roles as foresters and guardians of the new wildlands. And it says the expected benefits could be a huge upsurge in ecotourism, as well as the addressing of vital conservation issues. "Those benefits could be as much economic and social as environmental, helping local communities and landholders," says spokesman Toby Aykroyd. "You've got nature tourism, such as what the red kite has achieved in central Wales, which can be brought in. And the ospreys, now coming into the west coast, have been tremendous money-spinners for local communities. "You've also got environmental services such as flood mitigation from habitat restoration in upland watersheds, and carbon sequestration - that means locking up carbon dioxide - from newly planted forests and freshly created marshlands that would otherwise aggravate global warming. "On top of that you've got activities related to youth development and education, which aim to address some of the urban issues and linking rural opportunity with urban need." | 
