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. FRONT PAGE PARKLIFE The newsletter of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Image: photo of a butterfly's wing Butterflies and moths in the Cairngorms are being given a boost. Page 3 Image: photo of granite park entry marker Phase one of the Park's point of entry signage project is almost complete Page 5 Image: photo of a deer in snow Deer management needs careful planning within the Park. Page 9 Image: Cairngorms National Park Authority logo Issue nine • Winter • 2006/2007 Pick of the paths! Main image: photo of three cyclists on a cyclepath near Boat of Garten (Image courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell) A big “Thank You” goes out to everyone who has contributed towards the Park Authority’s work on developing a Core Paths Plan for the Park. During September, October and November last year, lots of people attended meetings and other events and went online to tell the CNPA which paths in their community are important to them. This work marks the first phase of developing a comprehensive Core Paths Plan, which will be an important document to help the CNPA and partners manage the paths in a better way. Senior outdoor access officer Bob Grant explained: “Core Paths are those which are seen as main routes which provide links for people to access the wider path network. The range of core paths identified in the Plan will provide opportunities for everyone including walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and canoeists to get about and to access a variety of other paths and places. “Core paths will be easy to find and to follow with good signposting to give people the confidence to use them. Where possible the core paths will be barrier free to allow people of all ages and abilities to get around their area whether it be for getting to the shops, walking the dog or enjoying the outdoors.” continued on page two PAGE TWO Sandra Middleton, outdoor access officer added: “The response we have had has been fantastic, people have been really enthusiastic about the paths in their communities and many local land owners and recreational groups have been getting involved too. “We have taken on board all of their comments and suggestions and we aim to have a first draft of the Core Paths Plan completed by the end of March this year when we will be giving people the opportunity to tell us what they think of it.” For more information about core paths planning and how you can have your say, please go to: www.cairngorms.co.uk/access or contact the CNPA’s outdoor access team on tel: 013397 53607 or email: outdooraccess@cairngorms.co.uk. Image: A group of Park residents highlight the paths that are important to them ORGANISATION National Park elections Voting for the locally elected seats on the CNPA board takes place in March 2007. Of the 25 board members, ten are appointed by Scottish Ministers, ten are nominated by the four local authorities in the Park and five are elected by the public for a term of office of four years. Candidates must be over 21 years of age, and although they do not have to live in the Park, they must gather support from ten Park residents who are on the electoral register. Further information on the elections will appear in the local press over the course of the next few weeks with the poll itself, which will be by postal ballot, due to take place in early March. Every person who is on the electoral roll within the Cairngorms National Park is entitled to vote and will receive a ballot paper through the post. The Highland Council organise the elections on behalf of the Park Authority. For more information please contact John Bruce on tel: 01349 868524. Image: map of the Park showing the five Wards Ward 1 - Laggan, Kingussie Ward 2 - Aviemore Ward 3 - Grantown-on-Spey Ward 4 - Glenlivet, Tomintoul, Strathdon Ward 5 - Braemar, Ballater, Clova (c) Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Cairngorms National Park Authority 100040965, 2007 (c) Scottish Executive Parklife is distributed to all householders and businesses in the Park two times a year. Maps have been incorporated in this publication to assist with the identification of wards in the upcoming board member elections. Reproduction is prohibited without permission of the copyright holders.The representation of features or boundaries in which CNPA or others have an interest does not necessarily imply their true positions.The map must not be used for navigation. PAGE THREE WILDLIFE Butterfly and moth boost Image: photo of Dark Bordered Beauty (image courtesy of BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION/ROY LEVERTON Butterflies and moths in the Cairngorms are being given a boost with the appointment of a Butterfly and Moth project officer. Butterfly Conservation Scotland, in partnership with the CNPA, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan and along with funding support from LEADER+, has employed Yvonne Malcolm to look after the initiative. A key part of Yvonne’s role is raising awareness of the importance of the Cairngorms National Park for a range of different butterfly and moth species as well as working with landowners and managers providing advice on improving habitat for butterflies and moths. The Cairngorms is a key area for butterfly conservation but butterflies and moths across the area are very under-recorded and there is a need for improved data on the status and distribution of many species. For this reason, the project also involves various events including training workshops, field trips, and volunteering events to encourage more people to get involved in recording butterflies and moths. For more information please contact Yvonne at the CNPA’s offices in Grantown-on-Spey on tel: 01479 873535 or email: enquiries@cairngorms.co.uk PERSONNEL New convener for CNPA David Green has been elected as the Park Authority’s new convener. He took over the position last September after Andrew Thin stood down to take up the appointment of chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage. A self employed crofter, David also runs a self-catering tourism business from the family croft in Achiltibuie. David is currently chair of the Crofters Commission and is a previous convener of The Highland Council. He has been a CNPA board member since the organisation was established in 2003. Speaking of his new role David said:“It is a huge privilege to lead the National Park Authority and I am keen to work with the board and staff to look after and promote this wonderful area.” Eric Baird remains as deputy convener of the CNPA board and Sandy Park continues his role as the deputy convener of the Park Authority’s planning committee. Read David Green’s column on page eight. PAGE FOUR POLICY Plan Updates PARK PLAN The National Park Plan for the Cairngorms has been completed and submitted to the Scottish Executive for approval. The National Park Plan – which sets out the long term vision (25 years) for the Park as well as priorities for the first five years of the Plan (2007-2012) – was sent to Ministers at the end of 2006. Once approved, the National Park Plan will be published and a summary will be circulated later in the year to everyone living in the Park. Hamish Trench, national park plan officer at the CNPA explained:“The National Park Plan will guide the work of all agencies operating within the Cairngorms National Park, in working towards the aims of the Park. It is not just for the CNPA, but for everyone with an interest in creating a successful National Park. “Having discussed what should be in the Park Plan with communities and other organisations over the last two years, the challenge for everyone now is to make some of these things happen.” Look out for more information when the Park Plan is published. LOCAL PLAN The Local Plan is on course to be placed on deposit this summer. Much of last year was spent considering the comments received on the consultative draft Local Plan, developing policy and filling gaps in information. The board will deliberate housing policy for inclusion in the Local Plan in the spring, with a view to approving the finalised Local Plan soon after. Once the Local Plan is placed on deposit there will be a formal consultation period. However, it is likely that a Local Plan Inquiry will have to take place, which will happen in the spring of 2008 ENVIRONMENT Silver Green Award for CNPA! Image: photo of Sarah Quirie, Mandy Mathieson and Laura Grant of the CNPA after receiving the silver Green Award The CNPA’s offices in Grantownon-Spey are proving to be very ‘green’, having achieved a silver award through the Green Tourism Business Scheme. The Green Tourism Business Scheme encourages businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices in the day to day running of their premises and operations in a bid to help protect the environment. The types of simple ‘green’ measures that the Park Authority has introduced include ensuring that all leaflets are printed using environmentally friendly materials, encouraging staff to think before printing and encouraging recycling of paper, aluminium cans and other waste materials by providing appropriate bins or collection points around the office. PLANNING E-planning arrives in the Cairngorms Anyone with an interest in planning in the Cairngorms National Park can now access planning information online, with planning applications available to view on the CNPA website. As part of the Scottish Executive’s efficient government drive, all local authorities and national park authorities in Scotland are introducing e-planning facilities. Planning officers’ reports and minutes of the CNPA’s planning committee meetings have always been available online but this new system allows people to access much more detailed information about planning applications and track their progress. Don McKee, the CNPA’s head of planning and development control said:“We have always taken a very open approach at the Park Authority however, e-planning means that people now have far greater access to information on planning applications that affect them or their communities. I think it will also help to make planning easier to understand.” PAGE FIVE TOURISM Park signs show the way Image: photo of a granit point of entry market at Glenlivet (image courtesy of CNPA) The first phase of the Cairngorms National Park point of entry signage project is almost complete. Of the 21 granite markers scheduled to be installed as part of this first phase, only two have still to be put in place. The striking markers began to make a welcome appearance last summer and vary from boulder style markers – featuring just the osprey image from the Park brand, which are located on minor country roads – to three metre markers made from three panels of silver granite, featuring the bird and the words ‘Cairngorms National Park’ in English and Gaelic inlaid in black granite. Markers have also been installed on the Speyside Way and National Cycle Route Seven. The next phase of the project – to install markers on the four trunk roads into the Park on the A9 at Slochd and Drumochter, on the A95 and the A86 – is scheduled to take place later this year. The markers have been manufactured by Fyfe Glenrock in Oldmeldrum from stone sourced from Deeside, with Poseidon Design, also from Oldmeldrum, crafting the black granite inlay. Aaron Lawton Associates from Pitlochry were contracted to help plan the project and design the markers and Stirling- based Ian White Associates are responsible for landscape design with Hunter Construction, from Aberdeen, in charge of installation. Pete Crane, of the CNPA’s visitor services and recreation group said: “We are proud to say that the vast majority of products and services associated with this project have been sourced within Scotland. First impressions matter and we have been able to produce a high quality product, giving people a real sense of arrival into the National Park.The feedback so far has been really positive and we look forward to completing the next and final phase by the end of this year.” The cost of the project to this stage, including upgrades to car parks and lay-bys, is £522,000 with funding coming from the European Regional Development Fund; Scottish Enterprise Grampian; HIE Inverness and East Highland; The Highland Council; Moray Council; Rees Jeffries Road Fund; as well as the CNPA’s contribution of £328,000. PAGE SIX AND SEVEN FREE COURSES FOR ALL IN THE PARK! Anyone living or working in the Cairngorms National Park will be able to apply to take part in free courses through the Land Based Business Training Project, after it was agreed to pilot an expansion of the successful scheme. The CNPA’s Land Based Business Training Project has been running for three years and was initially set up to encourage all those working on estates, farms, crofts, nurseries, woodlands or those working in the outdoor recreation sector to take up more training opportunities. The scheme can part fund training for land based businesses which will help improve the competitiveness and efficiency of a business such as the use and maintenance of machinery, equipment and vehicles; environmental courses; IT and business skills and health and safety. A very popular strand of the project has been the fully funded public benefit courses, which help land based businesses deliver the aims of the Park. It is this particular section of the programme that is being expanded, allowing anyone living or working in the Park to access these valuable training opportunities through the ‘Public Benefits for All’ pilot. Courses delivered through ‘Public Benefits for All’ are free and will help people gain a clearer understanding of the aims of the Cairngorms National Park and some training will give them the practical skills to help deliver those aims. The Land Based Business Training Project is funded by the CNPA and the European Social Fund. For more information please contact Kate Christie on tel: 01479 870535 / email: katechristie@cairngorms.co.uk Image 1: Photo showing participants learning about the geology of the Park Image 2: ‘Using wood fuel’ is a course taking place in 2007 Photo showing ends of cut wood. Image 3: ‘Disability Awareness’ training is also taking place Photo of walker with guide dog on path through woodland. Image 4: Learn about wildflowers like these forget-me-nots Photo of forget-me-not flowers and leaves Image 5: Photo of people learning how to monitor habitats. (Above images courtesy of: 1, 2 & 5 - CNPA 3 - CNPA/Stewart Grant 4 - Jimmy Mitchell) Free courses to look out for in 2007 .Butterfly Management .Conserving the Cairngorms .Wildflower Management & Identification .The Use of Wood Fuel .How the Countryside Sector Works .The Geology of the Cairngorms .Pond Creation & Habitat Management .Tick Control .The Scottish Outdoor Access Code .Understanding the Planning System .Disability Awareness …and many, many more!! PAGE EIGHT THE GREEN OUTLOOK David Green, convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Image: David Green (image courtesy of CNPA/Stewart Grant) I’ve been Convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority for over five months now and I’ve really enjoyed getting out and about around the area, meeting up with individuals and groups that I’ve not had the chance to sit down and have a chat with before. I obviously can’t go round the whole Park meeting everyone individually so I thought I'd use Parklikfe to let you know a bit about myself and my aspirations for the Park. I stay up in Achiltibuie, working as a fully diversified crofter running a few sheep and a small self catering business on the croft. Having brought up a family of four here with my wife Sheila - who was born on the family croft up the road in Achnahaird - I understand the issues facing the Park, which are similar to the north west coast. Spiralling house prices outwith the reach of young folk and the steady drift of our youngsters away from the area are unfortunately common challenges across the Highlands and Islands. Being a crofter, naturally I'm involved with the Crofters Commission and I'm a previous chair of The Highland Council - positions that have come with their own unique challenges and valuable learning experiences. WIth fellow board members and partners I am passionate about promoting and protecting, and looking after the people and the communities in the Cairngorms, which is designated a national park for its special qualities. This includes the rare species and habitats that can be found here and we need to ensure the utmost protection and enhancement for these. Of course there is so much more to the area, and so many things happening are dependent on other factors.Take young people – they are key to the future of the Park and without a young and well trained workforce, who can afford to live in the Park, we risk becoming nothing more than a retirement or a holiday location. Of course, housing that is affordable plays a crucial role in encouraging young people to stay here or return so the Park’s developing housing policy has to be effective. There is an opportunity for this Park to be an exemplar for Scotland and beyond.This should be an area where new and innovative policies can be tried and tested and if successful, rolled out to other areas of Scotland facing similar challenges. EDUCATION John Muir Award set to continue Image: John Muir Award logo The John Muir Award in the Cairngorms has been so successful that the project is being extended for a further year. The John Muir Award is the educational initiative of the John Muir Trust and is managed locally by the CNPA. It encourages groups or individuals of any age to discover, explore, conserve and share their experiences of wild places, whether they are on the doorstep or much further afield. In the three years that the John Muir Award has been running in the Cairngorms over 2,300 people aged from primary school pupils to pensioners have achieved varying levels of the Award, helping to generate a greater understanding and awareness of the special qualities of the Park. Alan Smith, the John Muir Award manager for the Cairngorms said: “The extension of the project recognises the importance of the Award in enabling people to find out what a fantastic place the Cairngorms National Park is and encourages people to get involved in doing something to conserve it for current and future generations.” The John Muir Award in the Cairngorms is funded by the Park Authority, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms LEADER+ programme. Image: Your gateway to discovering the Cairngorms. Photo of gate into field with snow capped moutains in the distance (Image courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell) PAGE NINE MANAGEMENT Park Authority spells out deer role Image: Photo of three Red deer in the snow (Image courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell) Native red and roe deer are superb natural assets within the Park and are economically important in terms of deer stalking and venison production, which create jobs. However deer grazing can prevent young trees from growing and deer can also damage farm crops. Deer damage has been the cause of much conflict in the Cairngorms over many years and reducing the conflict surrounding deer is a priority for the Park Authority. Colin MacClean, one of the CNPA’s integrated land management officers explained:“In order to reduce conflict, deer have to be carefully managed so we need a balance between the benefits of deer and the damage they cause. We want to develop the planning behind deer management so that a wide range of interested parties are consulted about the decisions deer managers take. “A key issue for us is also about improving communication and we would like to see the public better informed about deer and their management.” A key public policy over the next few years will be the protection of Natura designated sites from damage caused by deer. Natura sites cover some 25 per cent of the Park and agencies like the Deer Commission for Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland have a legal duty to prevent damage on these sites. Scientific evidence about grazing impacts on Natura sites and the animals which are causing them is being gathered, and where there is strong evidence that deer are causing damage, the Deer Commission can enforce reductions. Deer reductions may not be required on all sites and decisions will be based on scientific evidence. However the drive to protect Natura sites is likely to lead to lower deer populations in the Cairngorms as a whole. Colin MacClean added:“The protection of Natura sites is a national policy, driven by the agencies already mentioned.Within the Cairngorms, the Park Authority will influence the process but will not drive it.” PAGE TEN Image: A wintery Grantown-on-Spey. Photo of snowy main street in Grantown. (Image courtesy of CNPA/Stewart Grant) POLICY CNPA annual report The Park Authority’s annual report for 2005/06 is now available.To obtain a copy please contact the CNPA offices in Grantown-on-Spey on tel: 01479 873535 or email: enquiries@cairngorms.co.uk. Alternatively, the annual report can be accessed online at www.cairngorms.co.uk.The annual report is also available in large print format. COMMUNICATIONS Park news Image: photo of Parklife front cover Don’t forget – Parklife is available in a variety of formats.You can read the newsletter on our website, www.cairngorms.co.uk, or we can provide you with copies of all the articles in large print. It’s also available on audio cassette. Also, the CNPA has a monthly e-bulletin service so that people – anywhere in the world – can keep up to date with the work of the Park Authority! To subscribe to the CNPA’s e-bulletin service, please log on to: www.cairngorms.co.uk and click on the e-bulletin button on the homepage. POLICY Changes to planning committee and board meetings The CNPA is changing the way it does business with new arrangements for its planning committee and board meetings. Planning committee meetings will continue to take place every two weeks but decisions on planning applications will now only happen once a month, with the call-ins list being dealt with every fortnight as normal. The CNPA’s board meetings are also changing. Rather than being held once a month for an afternoon, the board meetings will be held every other month over an entire day.The open meetings – which take place on the eve of a board meeting – are set to continue. Anyone can come along to these evening meetings, which take place in various locations across the National Park, to find out more about the work of the CNPA and raise any issues with board members. All CNPA planning committee and board meetings are open to the public. Please check local press or the CNPA website for details of dates, times and venues for planning committee and board meetings in 2007. Contact: Cairngorms National Park Authority 14 The Square Grantown-on-Spey PH26 3HG tel: 01479 873535 fax: 01479 873527 email: enquiries@cairngorms.co.uk OR Albert Memorial Hall Station Square Ballater AB35 5QB tel: 013397 53601 fax: 013397 55334 email: planning@cairngorms.co.uk www.cairngorms.co.uk Parklife is published by Cairngorms National Park Authority and produced by Promotion,Top Floor, 33 Academy Street, Inverness IV1 1JN.Tel 01463 710695. Printed on 100% virgin fibre from managed trees and is totally chlorine free. PAGE ELEVEN FEEDBACK FORM Introduction The Cairngorms National Park Authority distributes Parklife to all householders and businesses in the area twice a year.We hope that our readers find it interesting and informative, giving an insight into the varied work and projects which the Park Authority is involved in. It is a priority for us to inform the local communities about the work of the CNPA and it’s important that we communicate this information in the most relevant way for you.We would like to take this opportunity to hear your views and comments about Parklife so that we can plan how we might develop this service in the future. We have compiled a short questionnaire and would be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete this.There is a FREEPOST address for returning it to us. Image: Front cover of the book 'Wild Land: Images of nature from the Cairngorms' by Peter Cairngs and Mark Hamblin. All completed forms will be put into a draw and the winner will receive a copy of the stunning book ‘Wild Land: Images of nature from the Cairngorms’ by Peter Cairns and Mark Hamblin.The draw will take place on Friday 30 March. Thank you for your time.We look forward to hearing from you. Questionnaire 1 Do you read Parklife? Always (go to Q3) Sometimes (go to Q3) Never (go to Q2) 2 If you never read Parklife, please explain briefly why not (go to Q8) 3 Do you find Parklife Informative and useful Worth a quick read Uninformative 4 Which articles/sections do you find most interesting? Community Convener’s column Environment Future meetings Tourism Housing Wildlife Training courses Recreation Others (please list) 5 What other subjects would you like to read about? 6 Do you find the newsletter easy to read? Yes (please go to Q8) No (please go to Q7) 7 What changes could we make to the newsletter to make it easier to read? 8 Do you read information about the Cairngorms National Park Authority elsewhere? No Newspapers Cairngorms National Park Authority website Community meetings Community newsletters PAGE TWELVE Questionnaire continued. 9 Do you know that Parklife is available in different formats? Large print Yes No Audio cassette Yes No pdf on Cairngorms National Park Authority website Yes No 10 Would you like to continue to receive Parklife? Yes No 11 Do you know that there is a monthly e-bulletin which you can sign up for on the CNPA website (www.cairngorms.co.uk)? Yes (please go to Q12) No (please go to Q13) 12 Have you signed up for the CNPA ebulletin? Yes No 13 Are there other ways in which you would like the Cairngorms National Park Authority to keep you informed about its work? 14 What age group are you in? under 20 21 – 40 41 – 60 61 + 15 Are you Male Female 16 Which area of the Park do you live in? Moray Deeside/Donside Badenoch and Strathspey Angus If you wish to be entered into the draw for ‘Wild Land’, please complete the following details: Name Address Postcode Email Telephone Data Protection Act 1998: the personal details you supply will be used only by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and will not be made available to a third party. Images: Photo of Garva Bridge over the River Spey in winter time. Photo of Glen Feshie in late summer. (Images courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell) Please detatch and return this form to: Cairngorms National Park Authority FREEPOST NAT21454 Grantown-on-Spey PH26 3BR