Environment

A new nature reserve in the uplands of Dumfries and Galloway has doubled in size with the legal completion of the South of Scotland’s largest community buyout, in what organisers say is a ‘moment of history and hope’ for nature, climate and people.

The deadline for responding to the consultation for a new Agriculture Bill has been extended until Monday 5th December and an additional face to face workshop announced, which will be held in Orkney.

To date we have supported at six face to face events - Inverness, Portree, Inverurie, Oban, Melrose and most recently Stirling and have a further three planned events over the next few weeks covering Dumfries, Ayr and now Orkney 

Agriculture Bill Consultation - Orkney

As part of the Scottish Government’s consultation process to develop a new Agriculture Bill, nine face to face events will be held in locations across Scotland.

These will be general sessions looking at the proposals of the Agriculture Bill. There will also be five online virtual events focusing on specific themes included in the bill. Further information on these can be found here:

 

A total of 33 businesses, large and small, will receive grants ranging from £16,000 to £1.4 million from the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation (FPMC) grant scheme.

Projects include capacity building for a dairy farm to meet the growing demand for its soft cheese, setting up of a new venison processing operation and installation of solar panels at a butcher premises to reduce carbon footprint and minimise electricity costs.

A new course in peatland restoration, the first of its kind in Scotland, is now open for booking. The course, supported with additional online learning, has been developed by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in partnership with NatureScot Peatland ACTION and is aimed at graduates currently involved, or aspiring to work, in the planning of peatland restoration schemes which are a vital nature-based solution to the climate emergency.

Scotland’s farmers, crofters, land-managers, small holders and small landholders are vital to our ambition to make our nation fairer and greener, and small landholders are part of this farming ambition.

New National Park Commission - National Event

NatureScot has been asked by the Scottish Government to work with them in establishing at least one new National Park by 2026, beginning with preparing further advice on what National Parks are expected to deliver for Scotland and how future areas can be selected for designation. Further background on this work can be found on the Scottish Government website.

New National Park Commission - South Scotland Event

NatureScot has been asked by the Scottish Government to work with them in establishing at least one new National Park by 2026, beginning with preparing further advice on what National Parks are expected to deliver for Scotland and how future areas can be selected for designation.

New National Park Commission - North Scotland Event

NatureScot has been asked by the Scottish Government to work with them in establishing at least one new National Park by 2026, beginning with preparing further advice on what National Parks are expected to deliver for Scotland and how future areas can be selected for designation. Further background on this work can be found on the Scottish Government website.

Naturescot are consulting about a future National Park for Scotland as part of the the Scottish Government's commit to designation of at least one new National Park during the lifetime of the current Scottish Parliament. 

It is almost 20 years since Scotland’s first two National Parks were created:

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