Our Response: Scottish Government's national parks consultation

Nature recovery should be the priority of our national parks. We need a fresh approach to national parks in Scotland that is fit to meet the challenges facing us. The overarching purpose of Scotland’s national parks should be ‘Leadership of nature recovery and a just transition to a nature-based economy’.

I agree with the proposed elements of leadership and action set out above.

National parks are well placed to navigate private investment opportunities - but should do so with communities in mind. There should be community benefits from the millions of pounds in funding flowing through our landscapes beyond the restoration of nature. Where land generates value in the form of ecosystem services, money should also flow back into local communities. In the long term, this creates thriving communities whose lives are interwoven with nature. Rewilding and repeopling should go hand in hand, especially in our national parks.

A just transition towards a nature-based economy should be a guiding principle of our national parks. If our national parks can rise to the challenge of enabling communities to flourish as nature is restored, they will be securing the future of the parks.

In order to achieve this vision, our national parks need to be welcoming places for people to live. In order for this to be true, our parks need affordable, secure, warm housing; jobs that provide a reliable living; thriving local services; good transport connections, including active travel and public transport. Communities should also have a real and lasting say in the evolution of the places around them - through the medium of co-design, rather than consultation.

All this has to take place alongside the large-scale restoration of nature and rewilding of our parks.

I support a vision and mission for all of Scotland’s national parks being clearly set out in a national statement. The creation of an overarching purpose for our national parks means this has to be set in context against the original aims contained in the National Parks Act. The creation of a vision and mission will also aid new parks as they develop organisational cultures and future plans.

Scotland needs an overall statement covering all of its parks, including both national and regional parks. All land is precious and must play its part in tackling nature and climate breakdown. Regional parks are important landscapes too, albeit not the focus of this consultation. A national statement could cover all of Scotland’s parks, national and regional.

Landscapes in Scotland are human landscapes, co-created over thousands of years of human usage. If the primary purpose of our national parks is nature restoration, all our national parks should be aiming to rewild the park areas. Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems to the point where nature is allowed to take care of itself. Rewilding aims to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species – allowing them to engineer and restore habitats. Effective rewilding encourages a balance between people and nature. This approach is perfectly suited to our national parks, where large areas still require significant regeneration.

Our national parks should therefore place nature restoration, not the protection of an existing aesthetic, at their heart.

The overarching priority of our parks should be ‘Leadership of nature recovery and a just transition to a nature-based economy’. The delivery of the aims must not undermine nature recovery.

I therefore support rewording the current aims to better reflect this new purpose, as well as the vision and mission in the proposed national statement. The new aims could be:

• restore the natural habitats and safeguard the cultural heritage of the area;

• promote the sustainable and fair use of the natural resources of the area;

• increase the accessibility of the area in order to promote understanding and enjoyment for all; and

• promote the sustainable social and economic development of the area’s communities.

I support the rewording of the existing aims to better reflect other changes to the vision, mission and overarching purpose of our national parks. There should also be a clear caveat that the pursuit of those aims should not undermine nature recovery.

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I support the strengthening of the effect of the duty on other public bodies. National park authorities need the support of other public bodies within the park area in order to solve the many challenges ahead of them.

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Our national parks should feel empowered to utilise their full range of existing powers and functions. From protecting ancient woodland to fast-tracking ecosystem infrastructure to providing affordable housing - with nature and a just transition to a nature-based economy as overarching aims, our national park authorities should be confident in exercising their powers.

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The priority of national parks should be to restore nature in a way that provides benefits for communities and the nation. Any powers and functions that support this priority should be considered. This could include:

• Simplifying the ownership and management of public land within park boundaries by transferring land to the national park authorities

• Incentivising land owners and managers within the park area to manage their land for nature

• Enforcing minimum standards for land management

• Managing land-based funding within park boundaries

• Simplifying landscape designations within park boundaries

• Streamlined rules around species reintroduction

• For coastal and marine parks, banning of destructive practices within their waters

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I believe all national parks should have the same range of powers and functions, and that all national parks should have nature as their priority.

I want to see more national parks in Scotland, restoring nature and championing nature-based economies. As the number of parks in Scotland grows, it may be necessary to establish an overarching national body to promote the national vision or mission and share best practice between Scottish parks.