The draft Bill, which will be scrutinised by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, embeds the hotly debated theme of Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders (DMNROs) within the legislation, albeit in different language.
This issue promises to be a hot topic in Edinburgh when it comes to Stage One discussions.
Due to the volume of recommendations from the Deer Working Group report, the Bill introduces a number of changes.
This is a (very) short summary for members.
The Bill gives NatureScot significant new scope for intervention, particularly on the grounds of nature restoration, which requires much reduced tests compared to evidence of damage.
Whatever direction deer management goes in, when this Bill becomes law, will depend on how NatureScot chooses to wield this weighty new power and whether they can retain cooperation whilst exercising it.
Under the Bill’s new provisions, the nature body can develop control schemes where they believe managing deer will bring about a benefit for restoration.
Their obligation to have recourse to a Deer Code of Practice is weakened around control schemes in general and they have more leeway to act if they feel deer management, or lack of it, is impacting a project, work (peatland restoration, for example) natural process or is acting as a barrier to achieving a target to improve the natural heritage.
Individual holdings within a control scheme, who refuse to comply, could see NatureScot intervening on their land and recovering costs for any action taken, thereafter.
Persons who refuse to abide by a scheme or wish to contests issues such as costs to be recovered can appeal to the Scottish Land Court.
There are streamlined processes to demand deer management plans and Scottish Ministers will effectively be given the power to ‘call in’ a control scheme, similar to what they can do with contentious planning developments.
The SGA Deer Group will take the time to scrutinise the legislation, as introduced, in more detail and will keep members up to date. Needless to say, we will be working hard on members’ behalf as this Bill makes its way through Holyrood.
The SGA’s view on DMNROs (still as relevant despite the name being dropped), can be found here: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2024-05-13-what-are-dmnros-and-what-is-our-position.php
All details on the Bill can be found, here: https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/s6/natural-environment-scotland-bill
