Performance Committee - March 2023

This document contains the agenda for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Performance Committee meeting on 10 March 2023 at 2:30pm. The agenda includes welcoming attendees, noting apologies, declarations of interest, and approving the minutes from the last meeting. The committee will receive updates on the Heritage Horizons Programme (David Clyne, Head of Heritage Horizons Programme) and the Cairngorms Peatland Action Programme (Colin McClean, Head of Land Management). There will be discussions on Cairngorms Footpath Maintenance (Colin Simpson, Head of Visitor Services & Active Travel) and the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project (Andy Ford, Head of Conservation). The meeting will also cover any other business, and the next meeting is scheduled for 9 June 2023.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Performance Committee meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority held on 25 November 2022. The meeting covered several topics including updates on the Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 Programme, the Cairngorms Peatland ACTION Programme, and the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project. Discussions included budget impacts due to inflation, staff contracts, trainee employment, and project timelines with a review of funding and project status presented at the next performance committee.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Q4 2022 update on the Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 Programme, outlining planned development work until the end of March 2023. The programme is currently being delivered within acceptable risk levels, though external economic factors may impact second phase budgets. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has agreed to extend the grant award period and second phase submission date to 17 August 2023, which will help align timescales for the Sustrans 'Places for Everyone' projects. The Park Authority has received applications for a research fellowship with the Scottish Environment Food and Agriculture Research Institution (SEFARI) and is working on strategic environmental assessments. The main risk remains the tight timescales for managing multiple projects, but this has been mitigated by the NLHF extension and the recruitment of a Programme Manager.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (Park Authority's) Peatland ACTION programme for 2022-23. The Park Authority planned to restore 905 hectares of peatland and is on track to meet or exceed this target, with work ongoing on several estates. Financial support from the Scottish Government is £3.4 million, and grant offers have been issued to 10 estates. A trainee project officer has been recruited to increase capacity in the peatland team. The Park Authority is also working to increase private sector involvement and improve internal governance processes.

This document contains an overview of the approach being developed to prioritize maintenance of the Cairngorms National Park's path network. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) is asking the Performance Committee to note the proposed process for identifying future path maintenance priorities. The Park Authority has a statutory duty to produce a Core Path Plan which defines a system of paths that are considered sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area. The Park Authority uses ranger services along with a new Geographic Information System (GIS) to keep track of maintenance needs, improvements, and any potential hazards. The Park Authority also provides support to other groups, such as community groups, that undertake a path project.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project for the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Performance Committee. It highlights progress in empowering communities, raising awareness, working with landowners, and developing a community-led conservation model. The project is generally on track, with positive work continuing in habitat improvement and predator management. An extension has been approved to ensure a strong legacy, with ongoing work to integrate the project's findings into future conservation efforts and to share these learnings with other organisations.

This document contains a progress report on the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project, which aims to help the long-term survival of capercaillie in the UK with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund until July 2023. The project's key actions include enabling community-led actions, raising awareness, researching genetic diversity, improving habitat, and strengthening monitoring. The project is led by the Cairngorms National Park Authority with various partners and focuses on community involvement through different stages of understanding and action. The report also details progress in areas like mountain biking, visitor engagement, business community, and dog walking, with budget information and a breakdown of income, expenditure, and project milestones.

This document contains the minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Performance Committee meeting held on 10 March 2023. The meeting covered several key updates, including the Heritage Horizons Programme, the Peatland Action Programme, footpath maintenance, and the Capercaillie Project. Discussions involved updates on project delivery, funding, community engagement, peatland restoration progress, and genetic testing of the Capercaillie population. The committee also addressed action points from previous meetings and noted the upcoming departure of Willie Munro and Anne Rae Macdonald from the committee, with Xander McDade thanking them for their contributions. The next meeting is scheduled for 9 June via Teams.