The Reserve Plan Review for Rum National Nature Reserve

Transcription

1 The Reserve Plan Review for Rum National Nature Reserve For further information on Rum NNR please contact: The Reserve Manager Scottish Natural Heritage Reserve Office Isle of Rum PH43 4RR United Kingdom Tel:

2 The Reserve Plan Review for Rum National Nature Reserve Foreword Rum is an internationally important island nature reserve on the west coast of Scotland, and one of a suite of National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Scotland s NNRs are special places where some of the best examples of Scotland s wildlife are managed. Every NNR is carefully managed both for nature and for people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage. In 2010, we carried out a public consultation on our future proposals for the management of Rum NNR. Feedback from the consultation informed the completion of the Reserve Plan , which set out our management for the reserve during that period. We have now come to the end of that plan and have started to think about the future direction of our management. This report reviews our achievements and progress against the management objectives set out in the Reserve Plan for Rum NNR

3 Contents 1 Our Vision for Rum NNR Natural Heritage Management Management for People Property Management Summary The Way Ahead

4 1 Our Vision for Rum NNR Rum National Nature Reserve is special; the aim is to keep it that way. The Reserve Plan set out our vision for the reserve describing how we would like the reserve to be in The management we have carried out over the past 6 years has been framed with this vision in mind. The Vision Rum is an outstanding island nature reserve, showcasing a wealth of wildlife, and offering a unique experience to visitors from near and far. The internationally important habitats on Rum are in excellent condition benefitting from our careful management of grazing animals. The island s biodiversity has improved over the past 30 years. Established woodland is well managed and expanding gradually to create a richer, more natural woodland cover. The characteristic plants and animals, including otters, golden eagles, red-throated divers and the wide ranges of insects, mosses and liverworts, are flourishing. The island continues to be renowned for its globally important colony of Manx shearwaters. Species foreign to Rum are vigorously controlled so that they do not threaten important habitats and species. Across all our natural heritage work we consider how we can help the Rum ecosystems become more resilient to climate change so that our wildlife has a good chance of long-term survival. Rum s important rock landforms and natural habitats, which are of world renown, are a popular and accessible teaching and study resource, promoted to a wide range of audiences. The fascinating cultural history of Rum is woven into all our visitor facilities. Rum is known world-wide as a wild Scottish island that is accessible and welcoming to all. Welcoming visitor facilities in the village promote and explain the special features of the Reserve. Red deer continue to roam the Reserve, attracting visitors and providing a continuing focus for important research. We manage the population in balance with the Rum s special habitats and demonstrate the success of our approach to other land managers. We manage the Reserve throughout to high standards working together with the local community and other organisations. The Reserve provides economic opportunities and supports a vibrant island community. Volunteers, both local and from further afield, play a valuable role in the continuing success of Rum NNR. 3

5 2 Natural Heritage Management Objective 1: To improve the conditions of internationally important open ground habitats through targeted management of grazing animals. Projects delivered under Objective 1 during life of plan: 1.1 Develop a grazing management plan to guide herbivore management for next 6 years. 1.2 Undertake targeted control of deer and goats with established management blocks. 1.3 Graze cattle more widely on grassland habitats to promote species diversity. 1.4 Confirm a targeted monitoring programme that will inform ongoing grazing management and support site condition monitoring. 1.5 Investigate the potential for a research studentship to study vegetation responses to reduced deer impacts within study area. A grazing management plan was produced and is being implemented. This has worked well and enabled targeted reductions in areas where habitats were being adversely affected by overgrazing. Results from habitat monitoring and habitat impact assessment (every 3 years) show that current management is meeting our objectives and habitats are now in favourable condition, or unfavourable recovering due to management. Goat management on NNR has gone through a review process which confirmed the requirement to manage the goat population. A goat management plan has been produced and is ready to implement. Cattle numbers have been reduced to help us better manage the herd and deliver our objectives. Grazing cattle more widely will continue to be an important part of next management plan. A report was produced on vegetation at Kilmory. This has been useful in setting out our plans for habitat management. 4

6 Objective 2: To ensure the populations of Manx shearwaters and other internationally important bird populations are safeguarded. 2.1 Continue to monitor the breeding success and population of Manx shearwaters. 2.2 Investigate the feasibility of installing and maintaining an automatic weather station to collect rainfall data at the Manx shearwater colony. 2.3 Run an experiment to find out what effect rats are having on Manx shearwaters. 2.4 Gather information about the behaviour and distribution of brown rats on Rum and consider the feasibility of a future eradication project. 2.5 Ensure new developments on the island take into account the need to minimise and shield light sources at night. 2.6 Control disturbance of red throated divers by anglers. 2.7 Prioritising bird monitoring and develop a long term monitoring strategy to include ongoing monitoring of eagles, red throated divers and key seabird species. The project to monitor Manx shearwaters has gone well and useful data was obtained on breeding success and productivity. A review of the methodology concluded that: Productivity methodology had a biased sample towards burrows which could be accessed for ringing adults and chicks No measure of occupancy as only burrows which produced chicks which were accessible for ringing were followed to conclusion Frequency of visits and number of people in colony through the year was causing concern Re-trapping adult for survival (RAS) project under the umbrella of the BTO methodology was measuring fully-grown survival rather than breeding adult survival and therefore could mask results if there was an issue with breeding birds decided to discontinue the RAS project using this methodology. The review identified a simplified and targeted approach to future monitoring and surveillance Occupancy to be measured Productivity and occupancy based on two visits early visit to confirm breeding attempt; late visit to confirm outcome of breeding attempt. 5

7 Measuring breeding adult survival should be an important project in the future but needs more thought as to methods and resources Research projects: monitoring rat activity within the colony should be a higher priority There have been some technical problems with equipment used in weather stations but these will be rectified and the stations will be in full use in future. A 3 year rat control trial was undertaken and a report produced. This will be used to inform future projects on the shearwater colony. A PhD project on rat ecology was undertaken by Sean Carlisle and field work finished in May 2015 with the thesis expected in September The results of this work will help inform our future rat management and The Highland Council has adopted this as policy for any new developments on Rum. Fishing permits are now issued advising people which lochs (using maps) they can fish on to reduce disturbance. Productivity of red-throated divers has increased in the last 3 years. A review of bird research and monitoring on Rum NNR was carried out in This considered Manx shearwater, golden eagle, sea eagle, red-throated diver, black guillemot and merlin, and identified priorities for monitoring and new methodologies. Objective 3: To enhance the overall biodiversity on Rum and look after populations of rare and specially protected species. 3.1 Ensure new projects support climate change resilience across all our natural heritage work. 3.2 Consider the resource implications and benefits of joining the Environmental Change Network. 3.3 Establish and implement grazing management requirements of the range of important vascular plants and monitor response. 3.4 Carry out survey of vascular plants designed to confirm or otherwise the missing or declining populations identified by Site Condition Monitoring. 3.5 Carry out a thorough survey of the otter population to provide a basis for effective monitoring and management decisions. 6

8 3.6 Develop a project to Improve bat feeding habitat, provide bat boxes and promote feeding habitat s for bats on the island. 3.7 Prepare a woodland management plan to improve existing woodland areas and identify actions to secure and expand woodland remnants across the reserve. A scoping survey and report was undertaken to assess condition of deep peat sites and identify potential restoration work. This suggested some small scale work which will make minor improvements to peat condition. Site Condition Monitoring in 2009 found that the site was in unfavourable condition due to the absence, or insufficient numbers, of five species of plants. A further visit in 2011 failed to find 3 species. (two flowered rush, alpine pennycress, and alpine meadow grass) Site Condition Monitoring for otters was done in 2012 and was considered to be in favourable condition but more detailed surveys will need to be done by prospective developers if impacts on otters are possible. Rum s bats are largely found around the village of Kinloch which is now part of Isle of Rum Community Trust rather than on the NNR. SNH will support the IRCT ranger service to improve habitats for bats. A policy woodland plan has been produced which forms part of wider woodland plan. Objective 4: To maintain and safeguard the nationally important rocks and land forms. Projects delivered during life of plan 4.1 Ensure that earth science features are taken into account in all reserve management work. 4.2 Promote responsible use to ensure that earth science features remain undamaged; this will include active briefing of specialists and student groups. 4.3 Monitor the level of use of the earth science resource by including appropriate questions on visitor surveys. 4.4 Monitor the earth science features every 6 years. 7

9 Reserve staff work closely with the local area office whenever earth science matters are involved on the island, including groups and publications, and relevant consents are obtained or issued as required. Regular contact was maintained with the bunk house and hostel to raise awareness and to try and ensure visiting geological groups and individual geologists contact the SNH office before visiting. Interpretation put in place to advise on Code of Practice and sensitive areas. The periodic island visitor survey reflects the reasons for group/individual visits which will help us to understand use of the NNR by geology/earth science groups. Earth science features are included in the Site Condition Monitoring schedule. Objective 5: To create awareness and tackle the problems caused by non-native and invasive species. Projects delivered during life of plan 5.1 Identify a list of invasive species which are not native to Rum and operate a policy for discouraging these species in conjunction with the community and other partners. 5.2 Publicise to all potential visitors and residents the need to keep Rum free of non-native species. 5.3 Progress a framework for monitoring and managing (or eliminating) invasive plant and animal species present on the island. 5.4 Consider whether visitors could help control of rhododendron. 5.5 Identify a list of invasive species which are not native to Rum and operate a policy for discouraging these species in conjunction with the community and other partners. 5.6 Work with the IRCT to implement guidelines on which animals can be brought on to Rum. & ongoing A list of invasive species has been compiled and was used to develop a policy. All current and potential residents are aware of this policy, but it needs wider publicity to reach visitors to Rum. 8

10 This will require working in partnership with the Rum community, the Ranger Service, ferry operators and contractors. Some targeted management of non-native and invasive species (e.g. Cotoneaster and Rhododendron ponticum) has been done in the Policy woodlands but not as part of a wider framework. Further work with the Rum community is required to agree and implement an island wide plan for the control of invasive non-native species. Some rat control has taken place and research carried out to look at whether rat management or eradication is necessary and/or desirable. Guidelines on animals that can be brought to Rum are available to residents. 3 Management for People Objective 6: To encourage research into the natural heritage and to use the reserve to demonstrate natural heritage management. 6.1 Encourage others to use Rum for research and promote their findings where this work supports our conservation objectives. 6.2 Support existing research programmes including deer research where they are compatible to our conservation objectives. 6.3 Jointly prepare an accessible summary of the main findings of the deer research for promotion to land managers and interested visitors and support the erection of a hide as a focus for raising awareness. 6.4 Consider opportunities for demonstration projects in relation to deer management. 6.5 Prioritise our data holdings and begin to make them available electronically. 6.6 Develop a portfolio of potential research projects that could inform our reserve management. & ongoing & ongoing Good communication has been maintained with university groups and projects, and several publications have been produced on research on NNR. This included a 9

11 booklet published in partnership with Edinburgh University and Scottish Government which presents the Kilmory deer research findings in a style accessible to deer managers. During the period of the plan we supported projects on red deer, rat ecology and management, earth worm ecology, palmate newt disease, Manx shearwater ecology, geological surveys, and golden eagle dispersal. A deer viewing hide, open to the public and used by the researchers, was erected at Kilmory. A number of SNH staff training events were carried out on Rum and this is likely to continue in the future There is a lot of historical data about Rum which is not computerised and is at present difficult to access. This is an important project and would help promote and support research work on the island. Objective 7: To safeguard and promote the reserves cultural and historic heritage. 7.1 Develop a simple management brief for all important cultural sites on Rum outlining how they will be protected and promoted. 7.2 Establish a GIS reserve inventory of reserve archaeological features to help ensure they are not affected by reserve activities. 7.3 Continue to train and work Rum ponies for reserve management purposes. 7.4 For breeding purposes to secure the Rum pony breed both on the mainland and Rum. & ongoing & ongoing Reports are available from Historic Scotland but they need to be collated in a user friendly way for operational use. A short review was done on what ponies we have and how they will be managed in the future with regards to training and replacements to ensure there are always enough ponies for operational use. Mainland NNRs were used to train inexperienced ponies, and, on and off island breeding programmes are now in place. 10

12 Objective 8: To raise the profile of the island and promote its special qualities. 8.1 Develop with partners a new consistent image of Rum to promote a unified sense of place and welcome. 8.2 Ensure that Rum figures prominently in the NNR brand campaign and is promoted through our NNR website with key information and links to relevant information such as ferry timetables. 8.3 Collaborate with Scottish Wildlife Trust on Eigg and the National Trust for Scotland on Canna to jointly promote the wildlife and other attractions. 8.4 Review current Reserve leaflets and booklets and reprint or rewrite as necessary and ensure current versions are readily available. 8.5 Work with boat operators to encourage them to provide information about Rum and its special attractions. We participated in regular meetings of the Rum Visitor Manager Group to promote Rum to visitors. Membership comprises SNH, Deer Research Project, Rum Community Association, Isle of Rum Community Trust, and Rum Enterprise. Over the course of this management plan products have included: Visit Rum leaflet Self-guided trail leaflets Fishing Leaflet Visitor Guide Book Interpretation in Otter Hide, welcome building and Visitor Centre Annual Familiarisation Days Joint Events Interpretation/joint working with CalMac ferry Visitor Survey Report Castle leaflet Manx shearwater leaflet Close links have been maintained with boat operators, leaflets and events are displayed on Sea Fari and Shearwater boats, Cal Mac provide a guided walk package for Rum and Over 60 s travel for free to Rum on the CalMac ferry. 11

13 Objective 9: To provide a welcoming experience with high quality interpretation and visitor facilities that leave people wanting to return. 9.1 Develop a campaign to promote Rum to selected visitor groups 9.2 Establish through survey and other methods, current and potential visitor numbers and reasons for visiting the islands. 9.3 Update our current Visitor Management Plan 9.4 Create a visitor management group on the island to ensure an integrated development of tourist facilities 9.5 Develop proposals for a visitor waiting room at the pier (with Highland Council and Community Trust) promoting island highlights 9.6 Mark the starting points of the two village trails and produce a joint trail leaflet showing route and features of interest. 9.7 Support the community ranger to welcome visitors, provide talks, guided walks and other interpretation 9.8 Raise awareness of the Castle restoration plans and any renovation work. 9.9 Encourage the exploration of Rum for more specialist recreational activities 9.10 Plan and redevelop visitor centre in Kinloch Village. This objective has been mostly through the Visitor Management Group which has been a positive driving force in promoting Rum. Visitor surveys are done and reviewed each year. Key findings are that: 86% visitors had an excellent experience. 23% visitors are repeat visitors. Few children come to the island. Most visitors are in the year age group. The pier building and interpretation are in place and well used by visitors. The Otter Hide trail is complete and way marked including the start point. 12

14 Regular meetings are held with the ranger to review the work programme, practical help is provided when needed, and several joint events are run throughout the year that include rut walks and guided walks. Proposals for the future of Kinloch castle are available in the Community. SNH has carried out this work on behalf of Scottish Government and we are currently waiting on instructions on what happens next. There has been some media coverage and public consultation through Scottish Government is expected. Upgrading the Harris and Kilmory tracks has made the island more accessible to a wider range of people, encouraged more cycling on NNR, and supported a local bike hire business. A redeveloped visitor centre in the village has not been due to a shortage of funding. Current interpretation needs to be updated. Objective 10: To develop the Reserve as a centre for learning, building on existing facilities and provision Promote Rum as a venue for learning and demonstration, particularly focusing on higher education groups and local schools Investigate the opportunities that could be provided for primary and secondary schools and the demand that exists for this provision Support the local school and actively encourage staff and visiting researchers to visit the school where they can provide valuable input to the curriculum Improve the current Reserve class room to ensure facilities meet requirements of existing and proposed visitors Develop a pre visit classroom pack drawing on materials in the existing pack produced for the Isle of May NNR Support the production of an interactive geological field trip for school and university use Support the community ranger services work with school groups & ongoing & ongoing 13

15 10.8 Investigate rural skills courses that might want to use Rum for practical work. We engage with student groups who come to Rum and have supported specific projects e.g. the rat ecology PhD. We involved the Rum and Canna schools with golden eagle dispersal project, and encourage the Ranger service to engage with local schools. Work was done with Lancaster University during Soil Biodiversity Week involving Rum Primary School and a talk in Mallaig. The classroom under the castle has deteriorated to the point where it is unusable. A geological field booklet has been written by Professor Emeleus and all universities use this publication but a fully interactive guide was not produced. Working with school groups is included in the Ranger s work plan and is encouraged at monthly update meetings. The Scottish School of Forestry, based at Inverness College UHI, has visited and worked on Rum. Objective 11: To develop opportunities for closer working with the full range of groups with special or general interest groups Encourage and support economic opportunities for the local community especially where they complement proposals in the reserve management plan 11.2 Collaborate with special interest groups to improve our understanding of their needs and to promote the sensitive use of the reserve Develop and publicise a list of volunteer opportunities on the reserve and wider island. & ongoing SNH has promoted, facilitated or been involved in several initiatives that benefit local community businesses. These include: the red deer sporting let has provided local people on Rum with employment through ghillying, catering and accommodation. 14

16 The asset transfer of land to the Isle of Rum Community Trust has enabled community development. This is ongoing with recent discussions over land use e.g. extra housing plots. a contract was awarded to the community in 2015 to manage the power supply. This has also helped to free up SNH staff time. a contract to deliver gas for SNH was awarded to members of the local community. This has also helped free up SNH staff time. access was improved by SNH to allow the new pier to be built and allow the CalMac ferry to dock. filming activities, such as Autumn Watch, have provided community business opportunities for catering, accommodation and the shop. research activities encouraged on the NNR provide indirect benefits to the community through the shop and catering. the SNH Hostel provided paid work for community members. SNH provided land for the Community poly tunnel. SNH supported individual business such as wildlife safaris. We have collaborated with a number of groups including geologists, the Edinburgh University Deer Study Group, soil scientists and ornithologists. Posters have been produced to alert visitors to sensitive areas and the need for consents if required. Volunteers have undertaken a variety of different reserve management tasks. These include Manx shearwater and red-throated diver monitoring, estate work, and deer and goat counts. Even though accommodation has been a limiting factor, between 10 and 15 volunteers come to Rum each year. 4 Property Management Objective 12: To ensure that all necessary buildings are fit for future needs of reserve management Extend current reserve office by using part of the White House accommodation Re-roof mechanics workshop Support the Isle of Rum Community Trust in undertaking improvements to the existing visitor centre and preparing plans for its redevelopment Develop plans with the local community and the Highland Council for a pier head building consisting of shelter, orientation information and toilets. 15

17 12.5 Find a location for and erect a new storage unit with washing facilities suitable for Reserve management purposes close to the current farm buildings. The White House was converted and now provides staff and volunteer accommodation. The mechanics workshop was not re-roofed and is due to be demolished. It has not been possible to redevelop the visitor centre or build a new one. The pier head building was built and now provides shelter, information and toilets. A new Reserve building was built and the reserve office was moved there during the winter of 2015/16. Objective 13: To ensure that all infrastructure and equipment is fit for the future needs of reserve management Reassess the condition of the main access routes on the reserve and establish a programme of rebuilding and continuing maintenance Repair and maintain the pony paths, rapidly addressing unforeseen path erosion. & ongoing 13.3 Replace the foot bridges at Harris Monitor and repair the vehicular tracks as necessary and consider improvements to the vehicular bridge at Kilmory Install a battery inverter system to stabilise the electricity supply Complete the transfer of harbour operations to Highland Council. Considerable work has been undertaken to improve the Harris (13km) and Kilmory (6km) tracks and they are now in better condition that they have been for several decades. Some of this work was part funded (40%) by the European Rural Development Fund. In addition, the Coire Dubh path (2km) was upgraded. 16

18 Objective 14: To ensure that all other estate management is carried out to the highest standards Update the reserve fire plan and implement any actions required Update and maintain the Reserve Health and Safety Plan 14.3 To prepare a plan to minimise the environmental impacts of our work on Rum 14.4 To find a means of minimising rubbish from visiting yachts 14.5 To work with IRCT and Highland Council to improve recycling and other waste management. required IRCT now liaise with visiting yachts in order to minimise rubbish, and skips in place for waste management at pier. 17

19 5 Summary The asset transfer of land from SNH to the Isle of Rum Community Trust in 2010 has enabled us to focus more closely on delivering key tasks and developing a strategic way ahead for the NNR. We have worked to build a constructive relationship with the Isle of Rum Community Trust and to help support and facilitate projects and economic opportunities as appropriate whilst allowing the community to function as a self-sustaining and progressive body. During the period of this plan there was been an emphasis on rationalising and reviewing many aspects of NNR work such as research, equipment, vehicles, staffing and the management of grazing animals. As a result the vehicle fleet was reduced from 4 landrovers to one 4x4 vehicle; an electric All-Terrain Vehicle was purchased; and considerable amounts of old equipment and accumulated waste has been removed from the island The cattle and pony herds have been reduced in size, and the deer population brought down from 10 per km² to 7 per km². We learnt lessons from the deer management concession that ran from and facilitated a new sporting lease for a third party to utilise the stag cull for sporting clients. This has had a good start and bodes well for the future. Our work has been helped by the move to a new workshop and office which has created a streamlined yet still operationally efficient team. Together with the IRCT we produced a Visitor Management Plan. The subsequent formation of a Visitor Management Group resulted in several successful joint projects that have increased the enjoyment and experience of visitors to Rum. We have produced a habitat management plan which includes a monitoring programme that informs an adaptive system for grazing management. The national Site Condition Monitoring programme shows that all qualifying habitats on Rum are in favourable condition, or are unfavourable recovering due to management. 6 The Way Ahead Our next steps are to draft a new ten year management plan for the reserve taking account of what we have learnt from our past management and what we still need to continue with to ensure we fulfil our vision for Rum NNR. We want to build on the success of the Visitor Management Group to ensure that visitors to Rum continue to have a positive and rewarding experience. We also want to work closely with the Isle of Rum Community Trust to help encourage sustainable 18

20 economic opportunities and to support the community in becoming a vibrant and forward looking body. Enhancing habitats and species is an important part of our work and we will implement a revised habitat management plan. This, in particular, will involve a more focussed use of cattle and ponies as well as the continued management of deer and goats. Using our new accommodation we will develop a volunteer programme that will contribute to our future work and enable individuals gain experience and learn new skills. We will undertake or facilitate appropriate research, survey and monitoring to contribute to our long term objectives for the nature reserve. Invasive species are still a localised issue on Rum and we will strive to reduce this problem where possible. We will carry out a public consultation on our management proposals and, use this feedback to inform the production of the Rum NNR management plan