The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative David Anderson Inner Forth Futurescapes Officer RSPB Scotland

Talk outline Why the Inner Forth The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative Protecting the Natural Heritage of the Inner Forth

A Special Place for Wildlife

A Special Place for People Industrial Heritage Cultural Heritage Agriculture Development

Pressures Land claim Development Climate change

Working Together Everything is linked Wildlife cannot be protected in isolation Need to think on a landscape scale We need to work in partnership

The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative

Our vision is to... Turn perceptions of the Inner Forth around and rekindle local pride, Connect disparate habitats to create a landscape flourishing with wildlife, Conserve, enhance and celebrate the Inner Forth’s natural, cultural and built heritage, Create opportunities and support people to enjoy, explore and take action to look after their landscape,

A dynamic, changing landscape (past, present & future)

Reconnecting people back to the Forth

So far we have..... Built a partnership Stage 1 HLF Landscape Partnership Bid Initial research and community engagement HLF Stage 1 pass for £1.9m – 50% of costs

Development Stage: Community & stakeholder engagement; Identify, design and select detailed projects; Feasibility and project scoping studies; Secure match funding for project delivery; Prepare Landscape Conservation Action Plan & submit Stage 2 bid to HLF;

Sponsoring Group Landscape Initiative Project Team: Programme Manager Community & Projects Officer Administrator (0.5FTE) Landscape Initiative Programme Board – Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) - Chair, RSPB, Falkirk Council, Stirling Council, Historic Scotland, Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT), Sustrans Landscape Initiative Steering Group – RSPB (Chair), Falkirk Council, Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Historic Scotland, SNH, CSFT, TCV, Sustrans, SEPA Working Groups Skills and Training Identify needs and opportunities to increase heritage skills through training Develop training plan Membership: CSFT, TCV, Falkirk Council, Historic Scotland, Clackmannanshire Council Cultural Heritage Identify needs, opportunities and key themes to conserve and celebrate the (tangible and intangible) cultural heritage of the area Design and coordinate Condition Surveys of potential projects sites Membership: Historic Scotland (Lead), Falkirk Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, Fife Council, Archaeology Scotland, Local heritage groups Access Identify needs and opportunities to improve physical access Design and coordinate access audits, projects and strategies to encourage active use of landscape Membership: Sustrans (Lead), Falkirk Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, SNH, CSFT, Paths for All Funding Network to identify match funding opportunities for the Delivery Phase To agree how partners can work together to their respective advantages to secure match funding To encourage cooperation and reduce competition over limited funding Membership: RSPB, SNH, Falkirk Council, Clacks Council, Stirling Council, CSFT, Forth Valley LEADER Audience Development / Community Engagement Oversee community engagement activities and coordinate with other community engagement activities in the landscape Identify approaches to enhance community participation and learning opportunities Oversee preparation of Learning and Interpretation Plan Membership: RSPB, TCV, HS, SNH, CSFT, local authorities, Natural Heritage Identify needs and opportunities for restoring / conserving natural heritage features of the Landscape Design and coordinate Development Year studies to inform project development Membership: RSPB (Lead), SNH, SEPA, CSFT, Butterfly Conservation, Buglife, SWT, Falkirk, Fife, Stirling, Clacks Councils, TCV Inner Forth Landscape Initiative Project Management Structure

Natural Heritage Working Group Identified our habitat priorities – Wetlands – Industrial – Farmland and estates Phase 1 study Woodland and designed landscape study

Inner Forth Wetland Network Habitat Stepping Stones Conserving and Enhancing Natural Heritage

Restoring Natural Features Conserving and Enhancing Natural Heritage Managing and Restoring designed landscapes

The Next Steps

Delivery: