Deer and Forestry

Moorland Forum member organisations were in action on BBC's Countryfile last night.

Peter Fraser for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association was interviewed about stalking (starting at 06:50) and later in the programme (starting at 18:45) David Frew, Property Manager, and Sir Kenneth Calman, Chairman, from the National Trust for Scotland were interviewed about woodland regeneration and deer management on the Mar Lodge Estate.

The deer vs woodland debate is very relevant to the Forum with the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group due to report to the Scottish Government in June, this year.  Can natural woodland regeneration and deer control take place without full fencing?  Is the strategic fencing, that is fencing that does not form an enclosure, being proposed at Mar Lodge a compromise solution?

Funding for Black Grouse in LL&T National Park

Photo: Forestry Commission

A funding package worth £720,000 has been announced to stabilise and increase Black grouse numbers in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.  Grant Moir, a member of the Forum, is quoted in the BBC News article.

Scotland: Black Grouse population increasing

Photo: Ian Rutherford

See the article in today's edition of The Scotsman that describes how the population increase has been as high as 70% in the Borders with the birds doing well in other parts of Scotland.  Excellent!

The article includes quotes from Forum members: Duncan Orr-Ewing and Adam Smith.

Moorland Forum - 10th Anniversary Meeting

The Moorland Forum's meeting that took place yesterday, was 10 years to the day after the launch of the Forum at Hopetoun House in 2002.  An excellent gathering of guests and Chairman, Chief Executives and representatives of the Forum's member organisations heard an address by the Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson, MSP.  This was followed by views of the development of the Forum and the opportunities that are available in the future, from Colin Galbraith, who was instrumental in setting up the Forum, Stuart Housden (Director, RSPB Scotland) and Luke Borwick (Chairman, Scottish Land & Estates).

A press release from the meeting is available from the website and photographs can be viewed separately.