Elwyn Vaughan, the Leader of the Plaid Cymru Group on Powys Council, has described rewilding in Cymru as "modern 'highland clearances' and colonialism."
The Glantwymyn Councillor also described rewilding as "a pretence for multi millionaires of doing something for conservation", adding that the practice suits "the Tory agenda of Trade Deals, importing our food and let our farming communities go to the wind."
He said: "Rewilding is a pretence for multi millionaires of doing something for conservation. It's modern 'highland clearances' and colonialism - it suits the Tory agenda of Trade Deals, importing our food and let our farming communities go to the wind".
Vaughan's comments were made in response to an article in The Guardian on the effects that rewilding is having on farming communities in Cymru.
In the article Teleri Fielden, who farms at Hafod y Llyn Isaf in Eryri, said that she was "sceptical" of rewilding.
Fielden said: “I just find it bizarre. It is as if they just go, ‘we’ll pluck all you people out of there, we don’t want you, your livelihoods, your traditions or your land management skills’,”
“We’ll just remove you and to hell with the rural economy, people and food. It’s a weird kind of Highland clearance,”