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A wildlife charity is opposing plans to build wind turbines in a forest amid fears it “would increase the chances of local extinction” of red squirrels in mid Wales.
Renewable energy firm Galileo Empower wants to build 19 turbines in a forest east of Lampeter, Ceredigion.
But the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales (WTSWW) said it would also affect the Bryn Arau Duon Forest in Carmarthenshire which offered a “rare refuge” for red squirrels, free from grey squirrels.
Galileo Empower said its planned 89 acre (36 hectare) site was already a commercial forestry plantation “where felling and extraction are already routine” but proposals included safeguarding the red squirrels.
The Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership (MWRSP), now led by WTSWW, has been working to protect the red squirrel population in the forest for more than 20 years.
It said, apart from the mid Wales colony, there were only two other Welsh colonies of red squirrels which are both in north Wales.
Known as Bryn Cadwgan Energy Park, the planned turbine site is located on the Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion border about 10 miles (16km) north of Llandovery and six miles (10km) south of Tregaron.
Trust boss Sarah Kessell said while she “understands the necessity for renewable energy developments… we believe that development should not come at the expense of nature”.
She added: “We’re in a biodiversity crisis with one in six species at risk of extinction in Wales. We can’t risk losing another iconic species from our landscape.”
About 440 acres (178 hectares) of the forest suffered severe storm damage last winter, including 22 acres (nine hectares) of the planned turbine site, according to Galileo Empower.
“Climate change is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity,” it said.
“By combining renewable energy generation with robust habitat management and species protection, projects like Bryn Cadwgan Energy Park are part of the solution – tackling climate change while protecting and enhancing local ecosystems.”
It said it planned to create “new broadleaved woodland, providing food and corridors for red squirrels, with canopy bridges aiding movement across tracks”.
“We are keen to continue working closely with the wildlife trust to help achieve this balance,” it added.
A public consultation on the plans is open until 1 October and an application is due to be submitted to Welsh government planning officials later this year.