"A New Direction for Scottish Land Management"

In the uncertainty that surrounds the future of our uplands and moorlands, it is essential that a clear case needs to be made for what we, those who are actively engaged in the management of the  uplands and moorlands, want.  Without this clear statement, we may end up with something that the politicians and civil servants believe we want, which may be rather different.

Without strong justification, the uplands and moorlands may lose out to schools, hospitals and other drains on the government's budget.  It is a fact that the competing claims on the budget are likely to attract more votes than 'messing about in the hills'.

The possibility of developing an Upland Vision in Scotland has been kicked around for several years, and arguably it is needed more than ever now, to fill the vacuum in thinking about the future.  This was discussed during the meeting of Scotland's Moorland Forum, yesterday, and as a result, Forum members will be considering how they can take some initiative.

Scottish Land & Estates has published A New Direction for Scottish Land Management, and the organisation believes that in future:

• It will be increasingly important that farming and forestry are able to put forward the strongest justification for ongoing public investment in these sectors.
• There should be a greater emphasis on farming and land management delivering public goods, such as helping mitigate flooding, providing clean water, enhancing biodiversity or reducing carbon emissions.
• In the shorter-term, enhancing the profitability of our land-based businesses needs to be a top priority.

I can support the SL&E approach, and I think it is a very good starting point for a wider discussion about what we want for these areas.  if we do not know, who does?

The Understanding Predation Project - launched 8 February

Battleby Conference Centre

The Scottish Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod, MSP, launched the Understanding predation report at the Battleby Conference Centre, near Perth on Monday.

This project was commissioned by the Scottish Government, supervised and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and delivered by Scotland's Moorland Forum.  I am the Director of the Forum and have also been the Project Manager.  It has been a huge effort to get the work done in the time available, but I think it has been worth it. 

Ian Ross (Chairman SNH) The Minister &
Lord Lindsay (Chairman, Moorland Forum)

If you would like to know more about the project and its findings there is much more information on the Moorland Forum's website and in the Understanding Predation project's blog.

From the Heather Trust's perspective, there are some important messages.  First, it is possible for people with local knowledge to work alongside scientists and to contribute equally to the discussions.  Second, a collaborative approach to issues can be very effective.  This is very much in line with the Trust's approach to 'promoting integrated moorland management'.  Every view should be treated with respect and every voice heard.

The project has produced a shared view of the issues and the next question will be how to apply this knowledge to the best effect.  The key point will be that it may take longer and be more expensive to adopt a collaborative approach, but the results are likely to be much more effective and longer lasting.

Scotland's Moorland Forum - Understanding Predation Project

The Questionnaire

The Understanding Predation project aims to capture the views of as many people as possible, from anywhere.  Responses are not confined to Scotland.  While the project will welcome responses from organisations, it is personal views that count most. The project wants to hear what individuals think, not just what organisations would like their people to think!

Have you completed a questionnaire yet, and have you done enough to draw the attention of colleagues, members and/or supporters to the opportunity that the questionnaire offers people to express their views?  The questionnaire responses will influence the final report from the project, and although the project is based in Scotland, the output will have wider relevance.

Understanding Predation – Information at a glance
Project webpage	http://goo.gl/Z5L0Hw
Project Blog	http://goo.gl/tgUPtP
Questionnaire – Online version (for submission of response)	https://goo.gl/Kv6Cor
Questionnaire – pdf version (to preview the questions)	http://goo.gl/a30c0x
End of online questionnaire Completion of workshops	31st July 2015
Project Review Seminars	27th October – Perth 3rd November – Inverness 12th November - Edinburgh

Summer Meeting at Invermark - 5 June 2015

With thanks to Lord Dalhouse and Richard Cooke for their offer of hospitality, I had a great visit to Invermark today to set up for the Forum's Summer meeting at Invermark.  The programme for the meeting will be discussed at the Chairman's Working Group meeting on 22 May, but it is likely to include a business meeting for Forum members, followed by a discussion meeting to address issues that are relevant to the management of Invermark.  Some guests will be invited to the discussion meeting and we will visit an area of the estate in the afternoon.  It promises to be a fascinating and informative meeting.

I took the photo today and it provides an indication of what we will see in June, weather permitting.

Monday: Perth - Moorland Forum Meeting

Today I headed north to Perth to attend the commissioning meeting for the Moorland Forum's Understanding Predation Project.  This project has had a long gestation, over 18 months, and it was a great relief that we have finally got to the start of this important work.

I am the project manager for the project, which has a budget of £220,000, and is due for completion at the end of January 2016.  The work started with a request from the Scottish Minister for Environment, early in 2013, and SNH has developed the concept with the Moorland Forum team.  The work will revise the Predatory Birds Report that the Forum published in 2005, but in addition we will integrate local knowledge into the findings.  Local workshops will be used at the start of the project to  gather views and seminars will be held at the end of the work to allow discussion of the findings.  It is likely that this work will provide some considerable challenges and we will need to make sure that those, from any walk of life, who have an interest in the issues are given a chance to contribute to the work and learn about the findings at first hand.  No pressure then!

There will be more about this project in the next day or so on the Moorland Forum website and the blog that I am setting up for the project.  If the issues are of interest, please feel free to get involved.

Scotland's Moorland Forum - action in Jan 2014

I have been active on behalf of Scotland's Moorland Forum in the first few weeks of 2014, and highlights of this activity have been recorded on the Forum's blog.

Activity includes the review of the Muirburn Code, a report for Forest Enterprise, and a meeting with Bob McIntosh, Director Environment & Forestry for the Scottish Government.

Land Use Strategy - Scottish Borders Pilot

There are two pilots to test the application of the Land Use Strategy and these are taking place in the Scottish Borders and in Aberdeenshire. The Moorland Forum is keeping in touch with both of them.  for details of a series of public meetings that are  being organised in January and February, see the Scottish Moorland Forum's blog.

Back in the Saddle: an Update

A slice of holiday and a busy period leading up to it has served to introduce a gap into this blog, but I am back restored, refreshed and re-focused, so will now pick up this blog again to bring followers up-to-date with the tales of everyday activity at The Heather Trust.

It is a fact of life in this fast-moving electronic age, that taking your foot off the throttle for even a short period means that on return there is a mountain to climb to get back on top of things.  I was away for 10 days, and even then thanks to electronic communications I was able to keep in contact for the first few days while stormbound in a WiFi equipped Danish yacht marina (but that's another story...).  This link allowed me to eat into the list of issues that I did not quite get finished before catching the ferry, but even so it is amazing how much can happen in a little over a week.

I am climbing fast and hope to be back on top of things shortly, but bear with me while this blog picks up on a few thing that took place while I was away.

Asulam & Bracken Control
The Notice of Authorisation was issued by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate on 20 May and this means that it is now legal to sell, transfer and promote the use asulam for bracken control.  The application period starts on 1 July and will continue until 18 September.  A use-up period will follow and this will allow application programmes to be completed and the product to be returned to the supplier or destroyed until the end of the period on 31 October.  After 31 October it will become illegal to store asulam again.

I am hoping for willing end-users and a good application season to justify all the expense and effort that has gone into getting to this stage.

Heather Trust AGM & Discussion Meeting
We have been working hard to organise the AGM in an interesting, original location and sifting through diaries and other commitments to come up with the best venue and date.  I think we have found  it.

The AGM and the associated Discussion Meeting will be held in Pickering, North Yorkshire, on 2 October 2013.

More details will follow.  All members will be welcome to attend and we will also be inviting supporters who are in reach of Pickering to join us.

Scottish Game Fair, Scone, 5-7 July
We will be present on all three days of the Game Fair and will be working on the GWCT stand to promote moorland management activity.  We will also be giving our Heather Beetle Survey a push and would be delighted to see anyone who is passing, especially if you wish to tell us about your experience of heather beetle.  Reports from the lucky ones who have not had a brush with heather beetle will be just as valuable as we try to generate a picture of where the outbreaks are located across the UK.

Scotland's Moorland Forum
Anne has been busy setting up the Forum's Summer Meeting which takes place on Friday (7 June).  This year the Forum is being hosted by the John Muir Trust and we will be given a view of their form of management at their new Wild Space Centre in Pitlochry and afterwards on Schiehallion.  These meetings are icebergs: there is such a large amount of information to cover that to get through it without members suffering 'death by PowerPoint' a lot of work has to take place in advance to get the information into a form that we can run through quickly.  We are now all set and ready for the off on Friday.

I will keep this blog going as a record of what we are up to.  But right now it is time to don my Scotland's Moorland Forum hat and prepare for a meeting organised by SNH to consider Predator-Prey relationships in Dunkeld.

Scotland’s Moorland Forum

As Director of the Forum, this is a major consumer of my time and effort but it defines the Trust’s work in Scotland and beyond.  The end of the current financial year sees the transition from a fully funded operation to a partially funded one, as SNH ease back their funding for the Forum.  Contrary to what you might think, I welcome this. 

I have been walking the boards for the last 12 months leading up to this change to promote the work of the Forum and its unique selling points and to argue the case for the Forum to be commissioned to carry out projects for the Government, its agencies  and anyone seeking a cross-sector, independent consultancy.

It was anyone’s guess whether this would yield any results, but I was keen to avoid the Forum’s activity retreating in line with the reduction of the SNH funding.  It is far too early to draw any conclusions but the Forum’s order book is full, if not overflowing, and I am now having to put my money where my mouth has only been so far to make sure we deliver on our promises.  Year-end underspend in the government agencies is a valuable resource towards the end of the financial year, but this year it has been like buses, all coming at once.

To provide an indication of the range of interest, I am setting up projects for: SNH, SEPA, Forest Enterprise, and Scottish Water and for the Scottish Government, I have started the review process for the Muirburn Code.

From the Trust’s point of view, it could be argued that this body of work furthers the cause of the Moorland Forum, but as the Trust is closely linked to the Forum and all the activity, I am comfortable that our involvement with the Forum serves to raise the profile of the Trust in Scotland, and throughout the UK.  See the Moorland Forum website for more information about the Forum's activity.

Moorland Forum posts

See the recent posts on the MF Blog:

Snaring developments in Scotland ahead of new legislation coming into force in April 2013.

New Chief Executive for the Cairngorms National Park Authority

The Squeezed Middle Debate - 30 August 2012

I have been invited to be on the panel for this debate, representing Scotland's Moorland Forum - details below The Squeezed Middle Debate: Addressing conflicting land use demands in Scotland 30 August 2012, 1.30pm to 4.30pm The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ The ‘Squeezed Middle’ is the land zones which exist between quality farmland and high mountains, in which it is especially challenging to plan the right blend of land uses to best meet policy objectives and societal demands. This land (Macaulay Land Capability for Agriculture Classes 3.2 -6.1) can support livestock farming, some arable production, forestry and sporting ground. It delivers many societal benefits, such as the provision of clean water, renewable energy sources and high levels of biodiversity interest. The quality of landscape or native woodland habitats can also impose policy restrictions on some land uses. Getting the right mix of multifunctional outputs on this finite resource is a complex issue.  The Land Use Strategy for Scotland (2011) outlines the overarching policy framework, however land use policy is multifaceted and is becoming increasingly complex and often contradictory. Join us to debate the future of the 'Squeezed Middle'. Using scientific evidence, the debate will highlight the potential conflicts and offer some options for future land use under different policy scenarios.

JHI Debate: The Squeezed Middle - 30 Aug 12

Photo: JHI

I will be on the panel for the first of a series of debates organised by the James Hutton Institute.

'The Squeezed Middle' debate will take place on 30 August 2012, 1.30-4.30pm at the Royal Society of Edinburgh and is aimed to appeal to researchers, policymakers and stakeholders. 

It is free!  To register see the JHI webpage.

"The debate will focus on the land zones which exist between quality farmland and high mountains, in which it is especially challenging to plan the right blend of land uses to best meet policy objectives and societal demands."

Other panellists are: Professor Des Thompson, Scottish Natural Heritage; Professor Bill Slee, James Hutton Institute; and Dr Andrew Barbour, Forestry Commission Scotland.

Job opportunity - Director, Scottish Countryside Alliance

The Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA) is seeking a Director to build on its achievements and provide an effective campaigning and lobbying force for the members and supporters in Scotland, and elsewhere as required.

The successful applicant is expected to be a country-minded person with an interest in country sports. It is essential that he/she has a strong professional/business background and the skills and experience to meet the demands of this multi-faceted role. A good understanding of Scottish politics, as well as the ability to engage with the Scottish Parliament and communicate effectively in all forms of media, will be essential. Outside the campaigning and political sphere, the Director will be required to deliver a business plan and budget based on a strong membership base and an effective fund-raising programme.

An attractive remuneration package will be on offer for the right candidate, according to their achievements and experience.

If you believe you possess the combination of skills, attributes and talent we are looking for and are interested in applying for this post, please send a CV together with covering letter by email to careersSCA@countryside-alliance.org?. The closing date is Friday 8th June 2012. Click here for a full job description.