Wild Land News no 58, Autumn 2003

Annual Report 2002-03 Article

A year has just passed since our May 2002 AGM and it has been one of our busiest. This was mostly due to organising the production of our booklet on 'Scotland's wild land - what future?' It was launched in the autumn of 2002 and immediately became required reading for those involved in wild land. It was ready for the very successful SNH IYM conference and was also at the Scottish Environment Link seminar on wild land, as well as other events and venues.

Although widely distributed and read, the production of such a professional booklet was very costly with relatively little financial return. This is the very type of project for which the Group increased its membership fees for a few years ago - to have the resources to produce things quickly and freely. We were not dependent on fund-raising, sponsorship nor losing editorial control.

Through producing the booklet, we moved printers, commissioned new designers and revamped Wild Land News too. This we hope has kept its key themes of being brief, punchy, B+W and A5 with a newer, more attractive style.

Out in the wider world, we have seen the Land Reform Act including its access provisions being passed. We have seen the creation of two National Parks and a new draft Management Plan for the Wester Ross NSA. We have seen wild land policies from NTS and SNH, and more work on renewable energy and on wild land by Scottish Environment Link. We have seen further community buyouts - including a major one at North Harris. We have also just seen a new more multi-coloured group of MSPs elected to the Scottish Parliament.

As ever renewable energy projects remain controversial, with some reasonably well located and some not so well located projects. We are currently lobbying against a huge and a minute hydro scheme, and keeping a close eye on the ever-expanding number of wind farm proposals.

Our year ended with the successful AGM. We may be small but we have raised our profile considerably in the last 12 months, and there is a fresh commitment to tackle key issues.

Alistair Cant