At a recent meeting CALM, the group that opposed the M4 Relief Road, expressed concern that the Burns Commission needed to be more effective at engaging with the public while preparing its proposals for transport in the M4 Corridor. CALM fears that a Conservative government in Wales might reintroduce the Relief Road project and is seeking confirmation that the Black Route is no longer protected and that land bought for the road is being sold. CALM is also exploring the possibility of strengthening protection of the Levels by a stronger designation than SSSIs.

While the National Trust aims to plant perhaps a million trees in Wales by 2030, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is looking to plant tens of thousands of new oak trees across South East and South-Central Wales, creating new woodland habitats and restoring broadleaf areas for wildlife and for people. Two years ago, NRW staff volunteered to collect acorns from trees of excellent quality from around Newport and Monmouth and send them to grow at a tree nursery in Delamere. Trees were assessed on several features, including their shape, size, age and the size of their leaves. Oak trees that perform well in these categories produce acorns that are more likely to grow into high quality trees.
Out of the 70,000 acorns collected, 51,000 have successfully matured and are set to be replanted near their original collection site. Replanting these trees near the sites they came from ensures they are well suited to the environment and that there is a minimal risk of spreading plant diseases. The two main sites the acorns were collected from were the Rolls of Monmouth and Newport Golf clubs.