Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Scottish Climate Change Bill: Consultation Proposals: Environmental Report

Climatic Factors

1. Changing seasons and weather patterns, eg. drier summers with extended drought periods, could increase the risk of wildfire, especially when considered in the context of similarly expected stormier weather events which could increase risks from lightning strikes.

2. Although the general expected trend is for wetter springs and increased precipitation during winters with heavier rainfall periods, the uncertainties involved suggest that it is feasible that areas of Scotland could be subject to sequences of single or multiple dry winters. If such periods are combined with hotter, drier summers, the risk of uncontrolled wildfire would increase accordingly as soils and vegetation become progressively drier.

3. In the event of heavy rainfall conditions over the prescribed muirburn season, the practice of burning may not be feasible, thereby increasing future risk as vegetative growth is not adequately controlled during that particular year.

Related Emissions Impacts

Some greenhouse gas emissions are to be expected with the continuation of muirburn practice; however, due to the fact that the combustible material is vegetation, muirburn can reasonably be considered carbon neutral.

However, in the event that wildfires become established, significant detrimental impacts can be expected through the associated risk of fire within upland peat habitats.

Peat fires can burn relatively undetected for long periods of time, they can be extremely difficult to extinguish, and can lead to further combustion of surface vegetation at locations distinct from the original source.

The implications for carbon emissions from peat fires are significant, although not possible to quantify in this SEA study.

Therefore, although there are carbon and GHG emissions associated with the controlled burning of surface vegetation, these emissions could reasonably be considered as carbon neutral and an acceptable trade-off as a mitigation measure for the potentially more significant emissions associated with wildfire and peat fires.

Implications for Adaptation

The current legislation which governs Muirburn practice (the Hill Farming Act 1946) prescribes specific dates between which the practice is allowed, following best practice as laid out within the Muirburn Code.

Since 1946 Scotland's climate and seasonal patterns have and will continue to shift, with lengthening growing seasons associated with earlier springs and later autumn periods.

Therefore the current fixed dates within the Hill Farming Act are unlikely to provide sufficient flexibility to adapt such burning practices to respond to changing weather patters, local weather conditions and risks.

An ability to amend muirburn dates, through provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill, could be considered a reasonable and pragmatic, effective and low cost climate adaptation measure.

Biodiversity, Flora & Fauna

• 8.7% of Scotland is covered by heather moorland;
• 15.7% by heather moorland and peatland mosaics; and
• 14.5% by rough grassland and moorland mosaics.

Moorland is an important breeding/ feeding habitat for invertebrates, mammals and bird species.

Scottish moorland supports high densities of Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Curlew and Hen Harriers.

Controlled burning of heather and vegetation is important to maintain diversity of moorland vegetation.

Young shoots provide a food source for livestock, deer, grouse and nesting habitats for birds and mature plants provide nesting habitats.

Burning cyclically aims to improve botanical diversity and vegetation structures and to produce a mosaic of young, intermediate and mature heather and plants. .

Areas of moorland which are unsuitable for burning are set out in the Muirburn Code, and these include areas such as blanket bog.

Air

Burning vegetation will lead to a level of fine particulate release.

At this time it is not possible to quantify what these levels are, however air quality impacts of controlled muirburn are expected to be highly localised and temporary.

If muirburn is not carefully controlled, or in the case of wildfire, air quality impacts would reasonably be expected to be more severe.

Water

The Muirburn Code advises against burning close to water, due to the risk that soil next to watercourses could be charred and friable, which would in turn present soil erosion risks, with associated water quality risk.

The PEPFAA Code indicates that land managers should follow the Muirburn Code.

Soils

The majority of Scottish soils are organic and most of the UK's peat resource in Scotland.

Over 50% of the UK's total soil carbon store is in Scotland and 80% of this is peat.

The approximate total is 3 thousand million tonnes of carbon.

50% of Scottish soils are peat based, and it has been suggested that burning helps the formation of blanket peat through ash and other fine particulate material plugging pores in soils and increasing waterlogging.

Managed muirburn, following best practice advice in the muirburn code and associated technical guidance, can protect these high carbon soils by reducing the fireload (vegetation/ combustible material) on the surface, thereby reducing wildfire risk.

Managed muirburn can help prevent the erosion, or degradation, of exposed haggs and gully sides.

However, inappropriate muirburn practice has the potential to increase the risk of soil erosion, although no impacts have been quantified.

The Macaulay Institute are conducting research on muirburn effects on dissolved organic carbon and phosphorus ( DOC/P) loss.

The Scottish Soil Framework Consultation ends in September 2008 and there are a number of questions raised in the consultation which may have some bearing on peat, climate change and erosion policy issues in the future.

Material Assets

Upland managers require a full range land management tools, including muirburn.

Over 50% of Scottish moorland supports grouse moor which influences sporting estate revenue.

The exact contribution Scottish moorland makes is unknown; however, shooting and stalking of all types is currently worth around £240 million annually to the Scottish economy.

Without the ability to carry out muirburn, the future economic viability of moorland sporting and other outdoor pursuits is likely to become less sustainable as the climate alters.

In addition, upland farmers require the ability to undertake muirburn as an aid to hill grazing management.

Many peatland sites have prevailing weather conditions that are suited to wind farm development, or are at altitudes suitable for communication masts; there are therefore potential impacts on these sites associated with the risk or wildfire.

Managed burning can help minimise such risks.

Population & Human Health

Visit Scotland (2007 Visitor Experience Report) states that 52% of GB visitors and 59% of international visitors undertake longer walks and hikes in the Scottish countryside.

The Scottish Mountaineering Council estimates that 6% (c. 300, 000) of the Scottish population are active hill walkers.

A recent Mountaineering Council of Scotland survey indicated that 96% of its members go mountain walking.

Mountaineers currently contribute some £150 million to the Scottish economy each year ( http://www.mcofs.org.uk/assets/pdfs/mountain%20walking%20df.pdf)

Not all of this can be attributed to moorland but it is reasonable to assume that a percentage of hill walkers and ramblers use and enjoy well-managed moorlands as part of their experience.

Without the ability to carry out muirburn the future economic viability of moorland both for grouse shooting and outdoor pursuits is likely to become less sustainable as the climate alters.

Members of rural populations are involved in muirburn practice as part of traditional land management, sporting estate or hill farm management, realising income and maintaining traditional practice and it is reasonable to expect that land management activities which support the local economy will assist in retaining jobs and members of the rural population, particularly in lower population density areas.

Landscape

Landscapes are an important tourism asset to Scotland demonstrated by the large number of visitors who come to enjoy the beauty of rural Scotland and take advantage of its opportunities for recreation

(78% of GB visitors and 89% of international visitors explored Scottish scenery - Visit Scotland).

In Scotland, muirburn has formed part of the recorded landscape for more than 300 years.

There is current controversy among conservationists as to whether burning is good or bad; without it, however, some aspects of what is wanted to be preserved would likely be lost through vegetation succession to woodland.

While it can be expected that some individuals would prefer to see a wilder and more unmanaged landscape, others expect to see symbols of a traditionally managed landscape, which can include muirburn.

Managing heather through muirburn results in continued flowering of heather during August across the uplands.

However it is difficult to measure the economic value of these aspects, as a tourist commodity.

Cultural Heritage (including the Historic Environment)

Scrub and land management by fire has been part of the cultural heritage of Scotland since the earliest days of agriculture, and has formed part of the recorded landscape for more than 300 years.

Analysis of sediments retrieved during archaeological excavations at the site of Lairg in Sutherland suggests that heather burning was being undertaken here as part of pasture management in the late 1st millennium AD.

It is widely accepted that upland Calluna spp. heaths have been created and persist through fire and management by burning and, without fire and grazing, most heaths would revert to woodland.

Although this change may have been natural, many would regard our heaths as " cultural" landscapes.

The continued use of (appropriately managed) muirburn helps keep traditional land management practices and skills alive for present and future generations.

It is also likely that flexibility outwith the muirburn dates prescribed over sixty years ago will help minimise risks of wildfire and therefore help minimise risk of damage to heritage features.