Kincraig is beavering away
The doors have opened on a Badenoch consultation into whether or not beavers might make a comback to the Cairngorms National Park.
Since 2pm Kincraig Community Hall has been the starting point for a new round of 'Beaver blethers', formal public engagement process which will see sessions at various Badenoch and Strathspey venues.
Once completed, the Cairngorms National Park Authority – who are leading on the reintroduction project – will submit a licence application to return this lost species to the park after an absence of more than 400 years.
The authority is working closely with a range of partners and land managers on a carefully considered proposal to translocate beavers from the Tay catchment to the upper Spey catchment.
The release sites are at Rothiemurchus, Wildland Cairngorms and RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes.
Following a series of informal ‘blethers’ back in March, the CNPA and partners are back out on the road to speak with residents, farmers, business-owners, fishery interests and other groups as part of the formal six week public engagement process, which run until September 25.
This afternoon's blether will run until 7pm tonight.
Others will follow:
August 23 Nethybridge Hotel, open to fishing interests
August 30 Duke of Gordon Hotel, Kingussie, open to the agriculture sector as well as members of the public
September 7 Inverdruie House Tipi, Aviemore, open to local business interests
September 13 Grant Arms Hotel, Grantown, open to the general public
September 19 Aberlour Hotel, open to fishing interests as well as the general public.
Dr Sarah Henshall, CNPA's head of conservation said: “We need to apply for a licence from NatureScot as beavers are a European Protected Species. To be successful in this application we need to show that there is enough suitable habitat for a self-sustaining population of beavers to live in the park; that there are land managers willing to have the first beavers released on their land; that we have a management plan identifying any issues that beavers may cause and outlining solutions to minimise or avoid any unacceptable impacts to protected or valuable habitats; and that there is a majority of supportive public opinion."
