WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Paper 2 Annex 3 08/04/05 DRAFT STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES CONSERVING AND ENHANCING THE PARK Key principles: Special Qualities, integrated management, landscape (scale, cultural, experience) Integrated Land Management • To promote and develop integration of support for all land and water management activities to deliver public benefits contributing to all four aims of the Park; • To promote and facilitate collaborative working and consultation between statutory agencies, land managers, non-governmental organisations, voluntary groups, communities and others. With regard to particular sectors: Agriculture & Crofting • To maintain a productive and viable agricultural sector; • To encourage the continued development of crofting; • To develop an integrated support system based on delivering public benefits tailored to local circumstances; • To facilitate access to land for those who wish to farm; • To develop supply chains and local markets for local produce; • To raise awareness of the role of agriculture in shaping the landscape, food production, nature conservation and links to tourism; • To encourage best practice in managing the impacts of pollution from agricultural activities. Deer Management • To establish Park-wide co-ordination of deer management; • To maintain and enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of the deer resource; • To promote the use and monitoring of habitat impact data in deer management; • To minimise the recreation and landscape impacts of deer fencing; • To promote best practice in managing the interactions of deer management with access and recreation, and other land-uses; • To promote research, knowledge transfer and understanding of deer management practices; • To research and promote potential public support systems for deer management. Forestry • To expand forest and woodland cover in ways that promote habitat networks and are integrated with wider land-use planning; • To reinstate a natural treeline; • To support a multi-objective forest sector that includes timber production, recreation, nature conservation and an appropriate mix of tree species and ages; • To develop local processing opportunities and supply chains; • To promote community involvement in woodland management and understanding of local woodland characteristics and distinctiveness. Moorland • To maintain the economic and environmental sustainability of moorland sporting and agricultural interests, primarily through the establishment of appropriate grazing and muirburn regimes; • To increase awareness and understanding of best management practice amongst moorland managers, users and the public; • To demonstrate and develop the links between sustainable moorland management and biodiversity; • To manage the interaction of moorlands with surrounding land-uses to maintain the integrity of moorland ecosystems and hydrology to benefit a diversity of species; • To increase awareness of the international significance of moorlands in the Cairngorms. Water • To maintain and enhance the high water quality generally present in the Park; • To raise awareness and promote best practice in managing the effects of diffuse pollution and discharges; • To encourage co-ordination of fishery activities in the Park; • To research and monitor the interaction of native and non-native species; • To promote a catchment-scale approach to water management that integrates land-use, nature conservation and flood management. Landscape • To raise awareness of the influences of land uses and culture on the landscape; and recognise its importance to the character and economy of the area; • To maintain and enhance the distinctive landscape mix of the Cairngorms; • To develop an integrated approach to landscape assessment and management; • To engage communities in assessing and managing landscape issues; • To enable people of all ages and abilities to experience the varied qualities of the Cairngorms landscape; • To maintain the wild characteristics of areas within the Park. Nature Conservation • To promote a landscape-scale approach to habitat networks and minimise habitat loss or fragmentation; • To raise awareness of the value of the natural heritage in all sectors; • To engage all sectors in implementing the Local Biodiversity Action Plan; • To promote access to appropriate policy and funding mechanisms to support nature conservation; • To monitor the natural heritage resource and make up-to-date information easily available to all; • To actively consider potential future impacts of new species and climate change • To develop understanding of the interactions of land-uses and nature conservation. Air Quality • To maintain and, where possible, improve current air quality; • To monitor changes in air quality and impacts on ecosystems. Natural Minerals • To promote local community benefit from mineral workings; • To ensure mineral workings do not compromise the special qualities of the Park; • To encourage reworking of mineral waste deposits and recycling where appropriate. The Built Environment & Historic Landscapes • To develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the archaeological, historic and built environment resources; • To promote awareness and interpretation of the value of the archaeological, historic and built environment; • To conserve and enhance the resources of the archaeological, historic and built environment. Cultural Traditions • To promote the cultural traditions of communities within the Park; • To identify and record the cultural traditions within the Park. COMMUNITIES LIVING AND WORKING IN THE PARK Key Principles: Building local capacity and participation, helping communities to support themselves and the Park, Services to meet the needs of communities, sustainable resource use and interdependence of special qualities and economy. Economy • To promote diversity and quality of employment opportunities across all areas of the Park; • To address barriers to employment uptake; • To create conditions conducive to business growth and investment that is consistent with the special qualities of the Park; • To encourage entrepreneurship, especially in young people and in sectors which complement the Park aims; • To promote ‘green business’ opportunities; • To raise the profile and excellence of local produce and services; • To encourage a population level and mix in the Park that meets the present and future needs of its communities and businesses. Education and Training • To promote access to education and vocational training at all levels across the Park; • To develop educational resources that draw on the special qualities of the Park; • To ensure a match between training provision and current/future skills needs; • To develop and support opportunities for volunteering. Tourism • To ensure effective involvement by all stakeholders in the planning, development and management of tourism in the Cairngorms, and to maintain good communication between them; • To raise awareness of the Cairngorms as a premier, year round rural tourism destination in the UK, recognising its outstanding natural heritage and its National Park status; • To strengthen and maintain the viability of the tourism industry in the Cairngorms and the contribution that it makes to the local economy. Transport and Communications • To encourage and support improvements to public transport quality and accessibility to better meet demand and increase use; • To improve access to and encourage use of Broadband, so creating opportunities for businesses and individuals to stay in, or locate to, the Park. Housing, Infrastructure & Building Design • To encourage provision of an appropriate range and choice of housing to rent or buy that is affordable for, and meets the needs of people living and working in the Park; • To enable effective co-ordination and co-operation between all public and private sector agencies and communities, ensuring housing provision that meets the needs of customers; • To research and promote sustainable design and use of local resources in housing provision; • To ensure the availability of sufficient effective land for housing to meet the economic and social needs of communities within the Park. Renewable Energy • To help achieve national targets for greater renewable production through community and domestic scale schemes; • To support research and employment in renewable energies in the Park. Waste Disposal/Minimisation • To increase awareness of the benefits of effective waste management through reducing, re-using and re-cycling; • To encourage provision of waste management infrastructure at domestic and commercial scale. Strengthening Communities • To strengthen the capacity of local communities and encourage community development; • To ensure provision of local services that meet the needs of communities; • To promote community involvement in the management of the Park. UNDERSTANDING AND ENJOYING THE PARK Key principles: Sustainable tourism, Park for All, Special Qualities of the Cairngorms, Communication and transfer of knowledge, ideas and experience. Outdoor Access • To co-ordinate the effort of key public, private and voluntary sector interests in the sustainable management and delivery of outdoor access throughout the National Park; • To support and encourage local community involvement in management of outdoor access throughout the National Park; • To encourage responsible enjoyment of the National Park so that its special qualities are understood and appreciated, and safeguarded for future generations to enjoy; • To encourage responsible management of outdoor access and a common understanding of the needs of managers and users; • To protect the more fragile areas of the National Park from pressures arising from outdoor access and recreation; • To enable people of all ages and abilities to enjoy and experience the outdoor environment. Visitor Management • To ensure that visitors to the Cairngorms are aware of the range of places to visit and things to do throughout the Park, and appreciate and respect its special qualities; • To improve and maintain the quality of experience in the Cairngorms for all visitors, communities and those working within the tourism industry; • To develop and maintain a wide range of opportunities for visitors to experience and enjoy the special qualities, distinctiveness and natural and cultural heritage of the Cairngorms; • To maintain a high quality environment in the Cairngorms, encouraging sound environmental management practices and support for conservation by all those involved in tourism; • To encourage an optimum flow and spread of visitors across the Cairngorms and minimise social and environmental impact and congestion from visitors and traffic generated by tourism; • To ensure that visitor information encourages resource protection and promotes responsible access and health gain; • To ensure a cohesive Cairngorms National Park-wide approach to ranger services which meets the needs of visitors, communities and land managers. Learning and understanding • To encourage learning about sustainable development in ways that are meaningful to people’s everyday lives and focus learning on the special character and distinctive identity of the Park; • To encourage people of all ages to get outdoors as frequently as possible and experience the special natural and cultural qualities of the area at first hand; • To capture knowledge and factual information about the National Park in a range of appropriate ways so that it is easily available to anyone who wants to use it and can be passed on to future generations; • To ensure that the Park is a place where both scientific and traditional forms of knowledge about the land and its management are valued and put to good use in the long-term management of the area; • To increase mutual understanding and trust amongst people interested in the Park through exchange of ideas, perspectives and knowledge; • To seek and share experience and knowledge from the management of other areas in Scotland and the world; • To ensure that people across Scotland are aware of the Cairngorms National Park and understand why it is worth investing in.