Highlights from the Moorland Forum Meeting - 28 February 2014

Thank you to those who were able to be with us for the Forum meeting at Oatridge College, on Friday.

The meeting covered a lot of ground and in advance of the Minutes, I am circulating some highlights as a reminder to those who were there and to give a quick overview of the key points to those who could not attend.  (Meeting Papers)

Opportunities to support the Forum’s work are highlighted in green, and places where action is required in red.

Briefings 

• SCA Routes 2 Rural Employment – Jamie Stewart
• This appears to be a good fit with the Forum’s aspiration to have some input in this area.
• We agreed that the Forum will support this initiative. 
• LUS Borders Pilot update
• The current 6-month stakeholder engagement phase finishes at the end of May 2014.
• The report from the Pilot will be completed by the end of March 2015.
• We will keep in touch with this work.

Briefings added to the website

• National Bird Survey Guidance Update.
• Wildlife Estates Scotland update.

‘Understanding Predation’ (formerly 'Species Interactions')

• It was agreed that the development of this project would continue.
• A Planning Group would be established and this would meet on 17 March.
• A questionnaire would be circulated to all members and other interested parties to capture views about the work.

Principles of Moorland Management 2

• Volunteers were requested to develop a skeleton plan for this work from the concept document that had been circulated.
• The aim would be to develop an outline project during 2014 so that it could be included in the budget round for funding in 2015-16.
• Work would not start until April 2015.

Update on Work in Progress

• The Peatland Action project 
• An event is being organised on Flanders Moss in March to provide an opportunity to see peatland restoration in action.
• Details and a booking form are on the News page of the Forum’s website  
• The event is being repeated on three consecutive days 25-27 March.  Forum members are encouraged to attend on 25 March. 
• Forest Enterprise Open Land Project
• Members are asked to review the report from the workshop held last year.
• Please could any comments be sent to me by the end of March 2014. 
• Comments will be passed to FES.

Governance Issues

• Programme for Delivery
• See the latest version on the website..
• The Programme for 2014 has been updated.
• A review of the Priority Issues, Other Work, and the Issues pages is required and volunteers would be welcomed to help with this.
• Summer Meeting - 6 June 2014
• Mar Lodge was agreed as the venue.
• Guest invitations
• Ian Ross, the new chairman of SNH
• Richard Cooke
• Other suggestions will be welcome.