Blueprint launched aimed at stopping devastating wildfires in Cairngorms National Park
Land managers are being invited to give their views on a detailed plan to tackle wildfire risk across the Cairngorms National Park.
The Integrated Wildfire Management Plan – the first of its kind in the UK – aims to provide support and guidance for land managers in the strath and wider national park to reduce the risk of fires.
It will also help them be better prepared to tackle wildfires and to ‘make the landscape more resilient’.
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The comprehensive document covers everything from training guidance, risk assessments and fire-fighting equipment, to fuel loads and firebreaks.
Following approval by members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority board at their latest meeting, views are now being sought in a formal public consultation.
This is being developed in parallel but separate to the CNPA’s seasonal fire byelaw which will be submitted to Scottish ministers in the coming weeks.
A CNPA spokeswoman said: “Wildfires release carbon, can damage or destroy sensitive and rare habitats, can kill species and pose a significant threat to people and property.
“Climate change impacts including rising temperatures and drier summers have increased wildfire risk...
“The Integrated Wildfire Management Plan recognises that the Cairngorms National Park is already blessed with a workforce on estates which are skilled, practiced and equipped to fight fires.
“It is vital that those skills and resources are maintained in the years ahead, to ensure all land holdings reach a high standard in terms of wildfire prevention and preparedness.
“The plan sets out how land managers can lower the risks of wildfires breaking out in the first place, as well as how they can work together with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to tackle fires swiftly and effectively.”
Major incidents on the doorstep of the Cairngorms National Park - at Cannich and Daviot in June 2023 - brought the danger into sharp focus.
CNPA convener Sandy Bremner said: “The changing climate heightens the risk of wildfire across the national park and we need to respond accordingly.
“This is a pioneering piece of work and I’d encourage anyone working in the land management sector to give feedback on the plan.”
Colin McClean, the park authority’s head of land management, said: “The plan recognises there are a wide range of land management objectives across the Cairngorms and a corresponding wide range of strongly held views about wildfire mitigation amongst land managers in the national park.
“Nearly all decisions relevant to wildfire are made by land managers.
“This plan seeks to reach a level of agreement which is in everyone’s interest.
“We look forward to hearing the views of land managers and working with them to help mitigate fire risk in the years ahead.”
The public consultation on the plan will run for six weeks.
The CNPA board will then review responses and consider approving it formally when it meets in June.
Meanwhile, plans for a seasonal fire management byelaw covering the National Park are being submitted to Scottish ministers after the formal wording was approved by board members.
The proposal has now been shared with Scottish ministers and, if approved, would see a byelaw come into force between 1 April and 30 September each year.
This covers the period with the greatest number of visitors to the national park and also increased risk of dry weather and fire risk.
An initial public consultation attracted 1,600 responses, with 79 per cent in support of the introduction of a byelaw.
A second statutory consultation on the draft wording drew an additional 119 responses.
To give feedback on the Integrated Wildfire Management Plan contact landmanagement@cairngorms.co.uk
