LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENT


LFASS technical group


The Government has set up an LFA technical working group to consult on the details of changes to the LFASS regulations post-2010. The changes are likely to focus finances more firmly on active farming through a re- basing exercise on 2008 data. The freed-up funds can then be redistributed to areas of greatest need. The LFA technical group held their last meeting on 21 May to discuss changes to the LFASS 2010 payments.


Agreed changes will be submitted to the EC and, subject to approval, amended payments will be made towards the end of the year.


Call for best practice guidance for hill tracks


Landowners and managers have made a clear call for the development of best practice guidance on the construction and maintenance of hill tracks. Issues around the development and maintenance of hill tracks were discussed at a meeting on 10 May at Braemar. The meeting was organised for landowners, managers and agents by the SRPBA in collaboration with the Cairngorms National Park Authority and Scottish Natural Heritage, and supported by funding from the European Union.


It was acknowledged at the event that there are many reasons why the making and maintenance of hill tracks by land managers is necessary for access and management on their land holdings. However, the position of hill tracks in law is somewhat


ambiguous, and a variety of regulation applies to their design, construction and maintenance. An SRPBA Information Sheet which outlines the current planning situation, prepared by Neil Collar of Brodies LLP, is on our website. There have been calls from recreational groups for greater planning regulation to be applied to curb the construction of new hill


tracks and place restrictions on how existing tracks should be maintained. A debate in the Scottish Parliament on the issue took place on 9 June, (the SRPBA provided MSPs with a briefing) and a recently commenced review of General Permitted Development Orders is likely to consider hill track developments in due course. Landowners, however, would rather see clear and concise best practice guidance developed than be burdened with further, potentially costly, regulation processes. There is guidance available from Scottish Natural Heritage, Constructed Tracks in the Scottish Uplands. It was agreed at the meeting that this should be updated and shortened to be more user-friendly. Get the guidance at www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/ publications/heritagemanagement/ constructedtracks.pdf


Scottish sea eagle management group


The SRPBA attended the first meeting of the Scottish Sea Eagle Management Group on 27 April. A number of other organisations were also represented on the group, including Scottish Natural Heritage, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust. The first sea eagles were reintroduced to the west coast of Scotland 35 years ago and the first chick was fledged 25 years ago. There are currently 46 breeding pairs of


sea eagles in Scotland.


The reintroduction project is widely regarded as a conservation success and has strong political and public support. However, the


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presence of sea eagles does raise a number of issues for land managers with regards to lamb predation and forestry management.


MAIN TOPICS DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING INCLUDED: ◆ summary of sea eagle ecology, population, demography and future trends ◆ summary of interactions with agriculture and perceptions of impacts ◆ summary of existing management schemes ◆ discussion of knowledge gaps, key impacts and requirements for management


measures. The SRPBA will keep


members informed about future meetings of this group and of any further developments.


LANDBUSINESS ISSUE 36 JUNE-JULY 2010


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