Peatland and the Peatland Working Group

I am conscious that the Peatland Working Group (PWG) has been quiet for several months.  Soon after the Group last met, in October 2012, the Scottish Government announced that they were providing SNH with support for peatland of £1.7 million from the Green Stimulus Fund.  Since this announcement, I have been waiting to establish if the PWG would have a role helping with the allocation of this fund, which is due to be spent over a three year period.

There was little time to set up anything in the first period to the end of March 2013, and SNH had to move fast to spend the £200,000 allocated to this first financial year.  They did well to achieve this, but in view of the time pressure, the funding has largely gone to existing projects.

Since the start of April, a Peatland Project has been set up to allocate the rest of the funds.  In view of my interest I have been invited to join a steering group to oversee this project and the group met for the first time on 3 May.  In parallel with the project, SNH is developing a Peatland Plan for Scotland and  this plan may allocate a role for the PWG, or a successor to it.

Meanwhile, I have been working with Clifton Bain (Director, IUCN UK Peatland Programme) to develop a peatland strand of work for the Land Use and Forestry sub-group of the 2020 Climate Group.  The Group has accepted a paper that we produced and this will be published soon.  The main emphasis of the 2020 work will be to encourage private investment in peatland improvement and restoration projects.  The private sector funding will sit alongside funds from the public sector, and initially, it is envisaged that funding will come from corporate social responsibility budgets.  In future, there is a possibility of developing carbon markets that will allow atmospheric carbon captured and stored in peat to be traded.

The first version of the Peatland Carbon Code will provide a framework for CSR investments and this will be circulated in draft form soon.  It is intended to develop an expanded version of the Peatland Carbon Code to provide a framework for a carbon market, but it may be several years before it is possible to take this forward.

Peatland continues to be an area that is developing fast.  I will use this blog to communicate any information I receive, but I would welcome input about any other developments.

The Review of the Muirburn Code

The Scottish Government tasked the Muirburn Group of the Moorland Forum with carrying out an initial critique phase to start the review process for the existing Muirburn Code.  The report from this phase of work would be used to develop the scope of the main review.

I am grateful for the many responses I received to the questionnaire that was widely circulated to invite comments on the existing Code and to capture ideas about how it should be developed to meet current and future requirements for a Muirburn Code.  This process was due to report during April.  Then the great wildfire conflagration struck the north west of Scotland.

The scale of this spate of wildfires was sufficient to make it clear that it would have an impact on the way we approached wildfire and this in turn must affect the way the Muirburn Code should evolve.  The result of this was to put a hold on the development of the ideas coming out of the critique phase, while the lessons form the wildfire incidents were considered.

The Scottish Government held a meeting on 7 May to review the situation.  The wildfire incidents had highlighted very clearly the need for a coordinated approach to wildfire that could only be provided by an effective Wildfire Forum.  As a result of this, it is expected that a revitalised Wildfire Forum will emerge soon.  During the meeting, I emphasised my view that it is time we started planning for wildfire and not reacting with surprise and horror when it occurs.  Planning should start with a prescribed burning plan as a way to reduce fuel load and create firebreaks, and this is where the Muirburn Code comes in.

While the response to the wildfires is reviewed,  the programme for the development of the Muirburn Code is uncertain, but I think it is worth waiting to make sure that a revised Code is able to address wildfire issues, as well as prescribed burning.  If the review process can trigger the development of an effective approach to wildfire and fire management it will have achieved great things.

While we are waiting, further input to the critique phase will be welcome, but judging by the issues that have already been raised, it is clear that there is an appetite for a review of all aspects of the Code, and this will include the objectives for carrying out muirburn in the first place.  

John Muir Trust opens their new Wild Space Visitor Centre

Welcome to the new JMT Wild Space Visitor Centre in Pitlochry, which opens at 3pm today.

Members of the Moorland Forum will get an opportunity to view it first hand as JMT is kindly hosting the Forum's summer meeting on 7 June 2013 at the Visitor Centre and on Schiehallion.

Heads up for Harriers

Photo: RSPB Scotland

See the BBC News article for information about the Partnership against Wildlife Crime (PAW)  initiative that has been launched by the Minister for Environment, Paul Wheelhouse, MSP.  This initiative applies the 'citizen science' concept and encourages members of the public to report sightings of Hen Harriers to improve national records of this species.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will record the information and details of how to take part are available on the PAW website, which has more details about the initiative.

Green Stimulus Peatland Restoration Project

Photo: IUCN UK Peatland Programme

In October last year, the Scottish Government announced funding of £1.7 million for peatlands as part of the Green Stimulus Fund.  SNH was given the task of applying this funding to benefit peatlands over a three-year period. 

On 1st April,  Andrew McBride took up the post as Peatland Restoration Manager.  He is developing the Project Plan, that will include eligibility criteria for potential projects.  The aim is to have the criteria and assessment finalised and approved by the beginning of May and details will then be circulated to a wider audience.

Andrew McBride has provided the following guidance on how the funds will be allocated, "there should be no surprises with the primary project objective being: the storage and sequestration of carbon with additional ecosystem services benefits, achieved through peatland restoration and management.  Given the demand so far, the fund will be competitive with those offering the most gains being funded. We will probably have to adjust the level of funding in response to demand and also the benefits accrued. Funding can also span the two remaining years of the project."

If anyone would like to know more about peatland restoration and management, there is some information on the Peatland Working Group page of the Moorland Forum website, otherwise, please get in touch.

Wildfires in NW Scotland - update

The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service has issued a press release to confirm that all wildfires have now been extinguished and comments that this has only been achieved after an enormous amount of blood, sweat and tears by firefighters. Well done all!

The press release includes a caution that muirburn should only be undertaken with very close attention to safety procedures, having first carried out a risk assessment. The FRS press release can be downloaded from the FRS website.

Understandably in the circumstances, the value of muirburn has been questioned and fingers have been pointed at those who have been lighting fires. In response to these issues, I was pleased to hear that Michael Bruce, a landowner, member of The Heather Trust and Chairman of the South Grampian Wildfire Group met with Robert Scott, from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service this afternoon. Following this meeting a statement has been agreed with Scottish Land & Estates as follows:

LANDOWNERS WELCOME CONSTRUCTIVE TALKS WITH FIRE SERVICE

Landowners from the North and North-east of Scotland have held ‘very constructive’ talks with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service following the widespread outbreak of wildfires.

Michael Bruce, chairman of the South Grampian Wildfire Group and owner of Glen Tanar Estate, met Robert Scott, Assistant Chief Officer for the North Service Delivery Area, and his assistant, Andy Coueslant, North of Scotland Area Coordinator, today.

Mr Bruce said: “We had an excellent meeting and there is no doubt that now landowners who have been involved in efforts to tackle these wildfires are on the same page as the fire service. We welcome Mr Scott’s recognition of the role that landowners and land managers play in dealing with these fires and there is a real commitment to work together in future. As an example, a call for help in the Highlands earlier this week resulted in local landowners offering to provide 10 specialist fire fogging All Terrain Vehicles that could be used in fire-fighting operations, within 10 minutes. That is the kind of response we offer and criticism of landowners earlier this week from some quarters was unwarranted. We have agreed with the fire service to revitalise the work of the Scottish Wildfire Forum, which has been a key focus for partnership working on wildfire issues since 2004.”

This is good, positive stuff and I hope that it will lead to lessons being learned, and applied, as the result of these wildfire incidents. We need to keep matters in balance and make sure that we do not end up with a result that will lead to less muirburn and an increased risk of damaging wildfire.

SL&E press release: Landowners ready and willing to tackle wildfires

PRESS RELEASE

4 April 2013

LANDOWNERS READY AND WILLING TO TACKLE WILDFIRES

Scottish Land & Estates, which represents 2,500 landowners across Scotland, said today its members were ready, willing and able to assist efforts to tackle wildfires and were being blamed unfairly for the blaze outbreaks.

Luke Borwick, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates, said landowners are responsible citizens with the specialist equipment, funding and willingness to help tackle wildfires voluntarily.

Mr Borwick said: “The private sector remains ready and well-resourced to help and can be mobilised at a moment’s notice, however it is disappointing to hear how our landowning members are being unfairly blamed for this situation.

“We are now are calling on organisations such as the NFU Scotland, the Scottish Crofting Federation and the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) to ensure that their members assist the fire service in controlling the flames that continue to burn in the Western Highlands. 

He continued: “Scottish Land & Estates was instrumental in the development of the Muirburn Code, along with other organisations such as the Association of Deer Management Groups, which has existed for several years and our members are well used to adhering strictly to the code.

“Contingency plans created by Scottish Land & Estates and other organisations, on the back of the bad fire season in 2011 have been initiated and we have offered support to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. We have members near the fires ready to volunteer their resources to help.

“Muirburn is an essential form of hill farm and Highland land management enabling grass and heather regeneration but must be exercised with caution at all times. Some of these fires have been as a result of careless activity by recreational access takers. However, a significant number of fires have clearly been the result of irresponsible actions of other land users burning and not following the Muirburn Code.

“We agree with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s call for muirburn restrictions, but any restriction should only be targeted on high risk areas in the west and not applied uniformly across the country.  The Eastern Highlands for example in many places are still blanketed in snow, and controlled burning will still be safe, as the snow retreats, for some time there.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Scottish Land & Estates published a comprehensive wildfires guide in February last year, following a survey which showed that 96% of its members were willing to participate in creating a chain of wildfire defence, by working with the Fire and Rescue Services and their rural neighbours.   The guide also responds to calls being made for contingency plans to be put in place by rural groups in all high risk areas, in an effort to tackle the threat of wildfires ahead of the dry season.

For further information:-

Ramsay Smith

Media House

m: 0141 220 6040 / 07788 414 856

e: ramsay@mediahouse.co.uk