Board Meeting - June 2024

This document contains the formal board agenda for the Cairngorms National Park Authority meeting on 28 June 2024 at 10am in Grantown on Spey. The agenda includes welcoming attendees, approving minutes from previous meetings, and discussing any outstanding matters. The board will review reports from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and convener, and consider adopting fire management byelaws and a Gaelic Language Plan for 2024-2028. Additionally, the board will receive an update on the Integrated Wildfire Management Plan and consider a Capercaillie Emergency Plan. The agenda also includes reviewing minutes from committee meetings, any other business, and the date of the next meeting, which is scheduled for 13 September 2024.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board meeting held on 22 March 2024. The meeting covered several key areas including the approval of previous meeting minutes, updates on action points, a CEO report, and discussions on the 2024/25 budget and operational plan which the Board approved. Other topics discussed included managing deer populations for climate and nature, an update on the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, and Board Committee minutes. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday 28 June.

This document contains an update from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Convener to the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board Members, highlighting the key areas of work being undertaken. The CEO's report covers nature and climate change initiatives, including climate adaptation funding, peatland restoration, future farming projects, freshwater systems, and deer management. It also details visitor services and active travel, focusing on land reform, paths, ranger services, and visitor infrastructure improvements. The report further discusses planning and rural development, sustainable tourism, visitor surveys, business updates, community-led local development, and communications, including public engagement and website development. Finally, it touches on organisational development, workforce management, staffing updates, youth employment, and finance. The Convener's update summarizes meetings and events attended, addressing topics like farming, affordable housing, land commission matters, community engagement, environment links, and collaborations with other national parks and organisations.

This document contains information about the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (Park Authority) proposal for new fire management byelaws. The Park Authority conducted a consultation on potential byelaws to reduce fire risk in the National Park, and the results of the consultation give the Park Authority a mandate for change. The Board is being asked to agree to the Park Authority's position which is to develop a seasonal fire management byelaw, running from 1 April to 30 September each year for formal consultation this Autumn. The fire management byelaw would not cover muirburn, as individual muirburn licence conditions will cover muirburn during periods of high fire risk. The Park Authority will continue to work with the Scottish Government to ensure that fixed penalty notices can be issued for byelaw offences. If the Board approves the recommendations, a paper will be taken to the September board with proposed byelaw wording for the formal consultation.

This document contains an update on the Integrated Wildfire Management Plan (IWMP) for the Cairngorms National Park, prepared by Colin McClean, Head of Land Management. The Park Authority is developing the IWMP as part of the National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27, including strategic firebreaks and a consistent approach to campfires and barbeques. Wildfires pose a growing risk due to climate change, threatening both man-made and natural assets, with potentially high financial costs. To address this, the IWMP will assess wildfire risks and impacts, considering increasing visitor numbers and changing land management. Throughout 2023, the Park Authority consulted with various stakeholders to identify key issues and opportunities for collaboration. The IWMP will consist of three sections: prevention measures, response strategies, and building wildfire resilience, with input from land managers and stakeholders. A draft will be presented for discussion in November, aiming for public consultation in early 2025.

This document contains a request for the Cairngorms National Park Authority board to review and approve the draft Gaelic Language Plan 2024-28, which outlines how the Park Authority will support and promote the Gaelic language. The plan is a statutory requirement under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 and aligns with the National Gaelic Language Plan. It was developed following a six-week public consultation, which received 427 responses and showed strong support for the plan's strategic priorities. The plan aims to increase the use of Gaelic within the Park Authority, provide more opportunities for people to learn Gaelic, and promote a positive image of the language. An annual budget of £5,000 per year has been allocated to deliver the plan, with a focus on training, materials, and a Gaelic language intern position.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Gaelic Language Plan for 2024-2028. It explains how the Park Authority will support and promote the Gaelic language within the National Park, aligning with the National Gaelic Language Plan. The document highlights the importance of Gaelic to the area's culture and heritage and outlines strategic priorities such as increasing the use and learning of Gaelic, and promoting a positive image of the language. It details specific actions, including working with partners, creating resources, providing training, and ensuring Gaelic is visible in branding and communications. The plan also covers how the Park Authority will resource, monitor, and embed the plan, including staff training and annual progress reports.

This document contains a consultation report on the Cairngorms National Park Authority's draft Gaelic Language Plan for 2024 to 2028. The consultation, conducted online from 25 January to 7 March 2024, gathered feedback on the plan's three main objectives: increasing the use of Gaelic, increasing the learning of Gaelic, and promoting a positive image of Gaelic. The report summarizes the consultation findings, demographic information of the respondents, and recommendations for the Park Authority. Overall, the report shows overwhelming support for the Gaelic Language Plan and a desire for more Gaelic educational opportunities and resources within the National Park, however it showed concerns about how the Gaelic Language Plan will be implemented and it's effectivness.

This document contains the Capercaillie Emergency Plan for the Cairngorms National Park, prepared by Andy Ford, Director of Nature and Climate Change. The plan aims to halt the decline of the capercaillie population by 2030, reflecting the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy's (SBS) vision. It outlines actions and objectives from the National Park Partnership Plan, direct commitments from the Park Authority's Corporate Plan, and builds upon previous board discussions and recommendations. The plan emphasizes habitat expansion and enhancement, minimizing disturbance to key species, and collaboration with stakeholders, all while aligning with national strategies and seeking diverse funding sources. The Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) and NatureScot are expected to take a leadership role in delivering the plan, which has garnered broad support and aims for landscape-scale restoration and long-term resilience. The Board is asked to agree to the scope of activity in the Emergency Plan meets the request from Scottish Government to continue investment in landscape scale restoration of pinewood habitat; develop a costed, spatially explicit plan and funding strategy; and undertake a pine marten population survey, and that the funding strategy is appropriate and sufficient to meet requirements.

This document contains the table of contents for the Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2024-2030. The plan includes an executive summary, an introduction and overview, and sections on habitat expansion and enhancement. It also addresses reducing the impacts of predation and disturbance, fence removal and marking, and research and monitoring efforts related to productivity, leks, pine marten populations, and genetic reinforcement.

This document contains the fundraising strategy for the Cairngorms National Park. It outlines the need for diverse funding sources from public, private, and voluntary sectors to support the delivery of the emergency plan, building on the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project (CCP) model. The strategy aims to leverage funding opportunities for non-governmental organisations, private sector entities, and local communities, focusing on habitat expansion and enhancement through initiatives like the Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), Nature Restoration Fund, and Peatland ACTION. The document also presents a breakdown of estimated budgets for various activities between 2024 and 2030, including management coordination, habitat expansion, reducing predation impacts, fence removal, disturbance reduction, research and monitoring, with the overall goal of improving conditions for capercaillie and boosting biodiversity.

This document contains the Board Committee minutes from various meetings held between 8 March 2024 and 19 April 2024, including the Performance committee, Audit and Risk committee, and Confidential Audit and Risk committee. The clerks to the board, Karen Johnstone and Alix Harkness, prepared the minutes, and the Board is asked to note the minutes and draft minutes of the Performance committee and Audit and Risk committee.

This document contains the minutes from the Performance Committee meeting held on 8 March 2024, and the Audit and Risk Committee meeting held on 19 April 2024, both at the Cairngorms National Park Authority office. The Performance Committee discussed updates on the Cairngorms 2030 delivery phase inception and the Peatland ACTION programme, noting budget reductions and potential impacts. The Audit and Risk Committee reviewed the Value Added Tax (VAT) status of the Cairngorms 2030 programme, the annual audit plan for 2023/24, and the internal audit report on management action follow-up. They also discussed the strategic risk register and lessons learned from the LEADER grant funding scheme. The next Audit and Risk Committee meeting is scheduled for 21 June 2024.

This document contains the formal board minutes from a meeting held by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) on 28 June 2024. Discussions included updates on action points from previous meetings, the CEO report, proposed fire management byelaws, an integrated wildfire management plan, and the adoption of a Gaelic language plan. The board also discussed a capercaillie emergency plan and the outcomes of the Resources Committee and Performance Committee. The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee provided an update on an internal audit report. Key action points arising from the meeting include ensuring maintenance of signs, clarifying land holding expectations, sharing translation affordability with local businesses, and prioritizing a pine marten survey. The next meeting is scheduled for 13 September.