Starting campfires to be banned for part of year in Cairngorms National Park
A seasonal fire management byelaw is to be introduced into the strath and wider Cairngorms National Park.
Members of the park authority’s board meeting at their headquarters in Grantown earlier today agreed to the move.
CNPA chiefs have said this will restrict recreational fires at a time of growing threats from changing weather patterns.
Campfires started particularly in and around Loch Morlich have become a major safety concern for residents.
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However, there is still some way to go before the curbs can be brought in. The new restrictions are not expected to come into force until next summer.
A 10-week consultation earlier this year on fire management bylaws received 1,664 responses from residents, businesses, land managers and visitors.
The CNPA said 79 per cent of all respondents supporting the introduction of the restrictions.
The CNPA carried out the consultation after its board agreed last year to consider the options for minimising the risks of wildfires starting in a bid to reduce the risk to people, nature and property locally.
CNPA convener Sandy Bremner said: “We’re grateful to the more than 1,600 people who responded to the consultation earlier this year.
“It’s clear from these responses that there is strong support for a fire management byelaw, with 79 per cent of people in favour.
“We considered a range of different options in terms of the type of byelaw to take forward.
“We believe that a seasonal byelaw combines the best elements of what people were looking for - relative simplicity for communication and understanding, and not being too heavy handy in covering months when there is far less recreational fire activity.”
The two other options had included a year-round ban on starting recreational fires whilst at the other end of the spectrum was no bylaws but an education programme.
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The CNPA will now draw up draft wording for the byelaw based on consultation feedback.
This will be subject to a formal public 12 week consultation in September later this year, before the wording is finalised and submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval.
Respondents to the consultation were made up of local residents (58 per cent), visitors (31 per cent), businesses (11 per cent) and land managers and workers (10 per cent).
A CNPA spokesman said: “Wildfire risk is increasing in Scotland and climate modelling shows a predicted increase in drought periods.
“The Cairngorms National Park is home to 18,000 people and around two million people visit the area each year.
“It is also home to 25 per cent of the UK’s rare and endangered species and around half of Scotland’s ancient pinewoods.”
As part of the discussion, the board also agreed that a byelaw would not cover muirburn as the new national muirburn licencing conditions will cover muirburn during periods of high fire risk.
That had been one of the most contentious parts of the options on the table.
During the board meeting, an update on the Integrated Wildfire Management Plan was also given by Colin McLean, the CNPA’s head of land management.
The blueprint is one of the actions in the latest National Park Partnership Plan.
A draft of the Integrated Wildfire Management Plan will be presented for discussion and agreement at the board meeting in November ahead of a public consultation early next year.
