Board Meeting - November 2023

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board meeting held on 8 September 2023. The meeting covered a range of topics, including updates on the National Park Partnership Plan, corporate performance, and capercaillie conservation. Discussions also took place regarding visitor management in the Cairngorms, election of the Planning Committee Convener, and board member fee policy. The Board agreed on several action points, including further discussions with the Cairngorms Business Partnership regarding affordable housing, a meeting with Forestry and Land Scotland to address resourcing at Glenmore, and the preparation of a paper on potential bylaw implementation across the National Park. The next board meeting is scheduled for 24 November.

This document contains the draft minutes of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board meeting held on 27 October 2023. The meeting included a welcome and introduction, followed by discussions on declarations of interest and tackling the nature emergency, specifically focusing on a consultation regarding Scotland's Strategic Framework for Biodiversity. The board considered and voted on several proposals related to the purpose and aims of National Park Authorities, including supporting amendments, retaining the National Park 'principle', and supporting public bodies having regard to the aims. The meeting also covered proposals related to enforcement of byelaw breaches, governance arrangements, and the election of the Convener and Deputy Convener, with action points assigned to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for further clarification and wording improvements. The next meeting is scheduled for 24 November.

This document contains the CEO Report and Convener Update for the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 24 November 2023. It highlights the main strategic areas of work being directed by the Management Team, focusing on nature and climate change, including landscape-scale partnerships and peatland restoration, plus species recovery such as beaver reintroduction and capercaillie support. The document also covers visitor services and active travel, including the Active Cairngorms Action Plan, improvements to paths and long-distance routes, and ranger services. Additionally, it addresses planning and rural development, sustainable tourism, business and visitor data, communications, and organizational development, including staffing updates and equalities initiatives. Finally, the Convener's update details meetings and discussions with various stakeholders on topics such as housing, NatureScot, national parks, business, and community councils.

This document contains the Active Cairngorms Action Plan, presented to the Cairngorms National Park Authority board for approval on 24 November 2023. Prepared by Murray Ferguson, Colin Simpson and Adam Streeter Smith, the Action Plan aims to make the National Park easier and safer to enjoy for everyone. The plan will deliver objectives relating to outdoor activity, health, wellbeing, and enjoyment of the park in a sustainable way. The board is asked to approve the plan, note the engagement that went into it, and note the work done by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and partner organisations, plus the grants awarded as part of the Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Programme. The Active Cairngorms Action Plan supports the National Park Partnership Plan 2022-2027 and will be supported by the Local Outdoor Access Forum. The next steps include uploading the Action Plan to the website in January 2024 and re-launching the Local Outdoor Access Forum as the Active Cairngorms Advisory Forum in May 2024.

This document contains the Active Cairngorms Action Plan for 2024 to 2028, which aims to make the Cairngorms National Park easier and safer to enjoy, encouraging physical activity, learning, and appreciation of the park's special qualities. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) plan fits within the larger National Park Partnership Plan 2022-2027 and focuses on nature, people, and place, with each section setting out an aim to achieve a net zero park by 2045. The plan outlines seven priority actions, including managing visitors, minimising impacts on sensitive species, ranger services, public health in the outdoors, volunteering, youth learning, and path maintenance. The Park Authority aims to promote collaboration, protect the park, reduce visitor impact, and boost opportunities for locals and visitors, all whilst supporting Scotland's Outdoor Access Code.

This document contains a summary of engagement on the Active Cairngorms Action Plan. Staff from the Cairngorms National Park Authority gathered feedback from stakeholders using online questionnaires, one-to-one meetings, papers submitted to advisory forums, informal discussions, draft papers, and feedback from other events. Approximately 130 to 150 stakeholders, including land managers and Ranger Service staff, were engaged in the process. Overall, feedback was positive, with key points including ensuring a warm welcome to visitors, avoiding conflict in language, building a family of Ranger Services, the Park Authority playing a more active coordinating role, strengthening resilience planning for climate emergencies, and emphasizing people and nature.

This document contains Appendix 3 of a formal board paper from the Cairngorms National Park Authority. It summarizes ranger patrol reports from 2023. During 2023 the Park Authority Ranger service piloted the use of a new mobile device recording system for gathering patrol data in the field which subsequently connects and uploads the data to the Park Authority GIS. The ranger service piloted a new mobile device system for gathering patrol data, which is then uploaded to the Park Authority GIS. The data includes information on patrols, tents, motorhomes, vehicles, dogs, fires, litter, and interactions with the public. This data is intended to help manage visitor activity within the National Park.

This document contains information about the Visitor Infrastructure Improvement Programme (VIIP) for 2023/2024 in the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairngorms National Park Authority has a budget to support improvements to visitor facilities and experiences, and invited proposals for VIIP funding. Six expressions of interest were received by early June, and the proposed projects need £251,950 worth of investment in the National Park. The document also lists other projects requiring investment through VIIP funding, and outlines the criteria used to assess each expression of interest.

This document contains a proposal for the Cairngorms National Park Authority to start a public consultation on whether to create a fire management byelaw for the Cairngorms National Park. The consultation, planned for January 2024, will explore three different options, including a year-round byelaw, a time-limited byelaw for periods of high fire risk, and no byelaw at all, relying instead on increased communication and education. The need for this consultation comes from the increasing risk of wildfires due to climate change and a rise in fire-related incidents within the National Park, aiming to protect people, nature, and property. If the board agrees to proceed with a byelaw, it could be in operation by 2025, but only after being drafted, going through a public inspection period, getting approved by the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board, and being confirmed by Scottish Ministers.

This document contains information about the Cairngorms National Park Authority's plan to consult with the public on its new Gaelic Language Plan for 2024-28. The consultation, which is scheduled to begin around 15 January 2024 and last for six weeks, aims to gather feedback on how the Park Authority can best promote and support the Gaelic language. This is in line with the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which requires public authorities to develop Gaelic Language Plans. The consultation will involve making the draft plan available in both Gaelic and English, and the Park Authority is setting aside a budget of up to £5,000 to support communication efforts. The document asks the board to review the engagement approach and agree that the consultation can begin on 15 January 2024.

This document contains a formal board paper from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 24 November 2023, regarding a consultation on Scotland's Strategic Framework for Biodiversity. The document outlines the purpose of the consultation, which seeks views on the first 5-year Scottish Biodiversity Strategy delivery plan, policy frameworks for Nature Networks and 30 x 30, the policy and framework for developing statutory targets, and proposals to update National Parks legislation. The board is being asked to agree to the proposed responses outlined in the paper in Annex 1. The paper also presents the strategic context, including a global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030, and the implications of the strategy for the National Park.

This document contains the annual reports from the Audit and Risk, Governance, Performance, and Resources Committees to the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board. The reports cover the activities, operations, and key aspects of each committee's work over the past year, including risk management, audit findings, governance, staff pay, and project performance. The Board is asked to note these reports.

This document contains the draft minutes from two Cairngorms National Park Authority committee meetings: the Performance Committee held on 8 September 2023, and the Audit and Risk Committee held on 22 September 2022. The Performance Committee discussed updates on the Peatland ACTION programme, Heritage Horizons, and the committee's terms of reference. The Audit and Risk Committee discussed the Internal Audit Report 2022/23, covering risk management, expenditure, creditors, and progress. The committee also discussed the external audit, information requests, and the draft annual report to the board. Peter Cosgrove was voted as Vice Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.

This document contains the minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board Meeting held on 24 November 2023. The meeting covered several topics including updates on action points from previous meetings, declarations of interest related to a proposed beaver release, and a report from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The board also discussed and approved the Active Cairngorms Action Plan, proposed a public consultation on fire management byelaws, reviewed the Gaelic Language Plan 2024-28, and considered the Scottish Government consultation on Scotland's Strategic Framework for Biodiversity. Finally, the board reviewed the annual reports from various committees and set the date for the next meeting as 22 March.