Forestry Commission Scotland has permanently withdrawn its proposals to provide a challenging, off-road mountainbiking centre in the Sluggan Pass area of Glenmore Forest Park, near Aviemore.

However, it will continue to allow the current level of use of the low-key trail built on the site by local enthusiasts, and to permit club events at times when disturbance to capercaillie would be minimal.

It will also explore the possibility of developing a small-scale, specialist cycle trail for less-abled people to serve the Badaguish Outdoor Centre in a way that will not harm the forest’s capercaillie.

Plans for a major mountainbiking centre in the Sluggan Pass area were well advanced when signs of a capercaillie living in the area were found during the winter of 2002-2003. It is illegal under European and United Kingdom law to disturb breeding capercaillie, and research in the spring of 2003 found evidence that the bird was a breeding female. Evidence of more capercaillie living in the area was found in 2004.

Believing it could be in breach of the law if it went ahead, the Commission withdrew its planning application as a precaution, pending the outcome of further study of the likely effects on capercaillie of high levels of recreational use of their habitat. The study was carried out by the Commission in conjunction with a number of other organisations, including Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. They also carried out a consultation of interested parties.

At the same time, the Commission accelerated its plans for a challenging mountainbike centre in Strathmashie Forest, near the village of Laggan, about 25 miles southwest of Aviemore. This facility, called Laggan WolfTrax, was opened last September and has been well received by riders.

The Commission’s Inverness district manager, David Jardine, explained,

“We don’t want to be killjoys, and we understand the disappointment that some people will feel from this decision. These include riders who would have appreciated this opportunity to enjoy their sport, and local businesses that would have benefitted from visiting riders’ trade.

“However, we have a legal duty to protect the capercaillie, which is an icon of Scotland’s native pinewoods.

“We’ve looked hard at all the options and consulted widely, but, sadly, we have not been able to find a way of providing a large-scale mountainbiking development at Sluggan in a way that would be compatible with capercaillie safety.

“Our decision need not mean the end of the road for significant mountainbiking developments in the Aviemore area. There are other potentially suitable sites outside the forest park, and the way is open for interested parties to explore those possibilities. We have already indicated our willingness to support any efforts to find and develop a suitable site.

“The signs are good that mountain bikers will soon be well served with a cluster of high-quality trails in this part of Scotland. There is a possibility of further development of our well received new WolfTrax mountainbiking centre at Laggan Bridge, just 25 miles from Aviemore. We are awaiting final approval of European funding that will enable us to go ahead with developing existing, informal trails into a sustainable, properly managed facility on the Black Isle, near Inverness. And work is under way to improve and extend existing, volunteer-built trails in national forests in Morayshire.”

Meanwhile, the Commission is proposing to keep the working group together as a team that can help to manage the existing low-key trail in an environmentally sustainable manner. Mr Jardine explained,

“The existing level of use of this trail is proving to be compatible with successful capercaillie breeding, is not causing significant environmental damage, and can be used for events at times of the year when wildlife disturbance is less of an issue.”

NOTES TO EDITOR:

1. Capercaillie (Tetrao uragallus ) are large woodland grouse about the size of a turkey. There are only about 2000 in Scotland, and although this is an increase from the estimated 1000 in the late 1990s, it is still dramatically down on the estimated 20,000 there were in the 1970s. Capercaillie became extinct in Britain in the 18^th century, but were reintroduced from Sweden in the 19^th century. Their recent decline has been attributed to habitat loss (they require conifer forests with plenty of blaeberry), wet, cold weather during breeding seasons, predation, collisions with deer fences, and human disturbance. Measures to halt or reverse their decline include a £5 million European Union-funded LIFE-Natura programme to help land managers improve and expand their habitat. Three years ago the Scottish Executive made grants totalling £700,000 to help landowners remove 87 kilometres of redundant deer fences in capercaillie habitat, to mark 135km of other fences so that capercaillie can see them, to reduce the height of 7 km of deer fencing, and to remvoe 36km of stock and rabbit fencing.
2. Under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act it is an offence to recklessly disturb a capercaillie lek (mating area), and the Act places a duty on all public bodies to protect biodiversity. The European Birds Directive obliges member states to conserve the habitats of certain species of birds, including capercaillie.
3. Members of the working group that explored the issues involved in the development of a significant new recreation facility in the forest park included Badaguish Outdoor Centre, Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group, Cairngorm Chamber of Commerce, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Rothiemurchus & Glenmore Community Association, the RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage and Strathspey Mountain Bike Club. Neighbouring Rothiemurchus Estate attended meetings as an observer.
4. The initial proposal for a formally built and managed mountain bike centre at Sluggan Pass included 20km (12.5 miles) of trails, and car parking for a predicted 50,000 visitors a year. The Badaguish Outdoor Centre was considering providing other support facilities.
5. In order to gain a fuller understanding of the issues involved, the working group undertook the following: surveys of capercaillie use of Sluggan and the rest of the forest park; a survey of mountain biking activity in the Aviemore/Glenmore area and of the current level of use of the informal trails at Sluggan; a survey of capercaillie use of the area in winter; a “desktop” study of experts’ views on the interactions between capercaillie and recreational forest users; consideration of the legal issues, land reform legislation and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; and consideration of other potential sites.
6. The working group found that: the Sluggan Pass area is used by a nationally important population of capercaillie, which have protection under national and European legislation that Forestry Commission Scotland has a duty to respect; that there are other potentially suitable sites in the area that do not have capercaillie; that major investments at Glenmore could prejudice the viability of other recent investments; and that no way has been found of providing mitigation measures that would allow the proposed Sluggan development to be used while guaranteeing capercaillie safety.
7. The Forestry Commission is the leading provider of challenging mountainbike trails in Great Britain. Its 7Stanes centres across the south of Scotland are internationally renowned. Its Witch’s Trail in Leanachan Forest, near Fort William, hosts international competitions, and there are a number of popular trail centres in national forests in Wales.
8. Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Scottish Executive’s forestry department. It manages 656,000 hectares of national forest lands owned by Scottish Ministers for multiple public benefits including timber production, nature conservation, outdoor recreation, and rural and community development; it supports other woodland owners with grants, felling licences, advice and regulation; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers on forestry policy.

MEDIA CONTACT: Forestry Commission Scotland press office - Charlton Clark, 0131 314 6507; mobile 07810 181067.