As wild fires continue to smoulder across the open ground and woodlands of the western Highlands, a group of landowners in Coigach and Assynt have joined forces in a bid to prevent further damage to wildlife habitats and to try and bring the fire under complete control.
The Assynt Foundation, Eisg Brachaid, John Muir Trust and the Scottish Wildlife Trust have all contributed to the costs of fighting the fire, which is estimated to have affected over 8,000 acres of land so far.
With Inverpolly estate and Scottish Natural Heritage also contributing funds, this group of landowners has raised over £10,000, enough to pay for several helicopter water drops.
Jonny Hughes, the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Director of Conservation said: “Areas of native woodland planting and regenerating trees have been destroyed in some areas and there is still a threat that smouldering fires could still affect areas of mature woodland.
“The severity of the damage to wildlife habitats in the area will depend on the severity of the fire. Young trees can sometimes recover if the fire passes through quickly but indications are that the fire in Assynt and Inverpolly is quite intense and some nationally important habitats have been severely affected.
“This could have devastating impacts on our future plans to regenerate native trees into a connected woodland network at an ecosystem scale. It is however really great to see the collective effort underway with private estates, public bodies, conservation organisations and local groups, including the Scottish Wildfire Forum, who are all working together to try and get these fires under control.”
Mark Lazzeri, Development Manager with the Assynt Foundation said: “Over the last 24 hours we have been successful in controlling the fires around Eisg Brachaid Lodge. The fires are almost out and the area is being securely dampened to prevent re-ignition. However, the winds are causing back burning, and there are still a number of active fires around the area.
“Thanks to the contributions for neighbouring landowners, we can continue to deploy the helicopter to these fires and we hope to gain full control of the situation very soon. Anyone else who wishes to donate to help our efforts can do so by contacting any of the individual landowners in the area.”
The Assynt Foundation, Culag Community Woodland Trust, Eisg Brachaid Estate, John Muir Trust, Tanera Mor, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust represent a group of landowners dedicated to restoring the west Highlands of Scotland through collaborative working for the benefit of people and wildlife. These partners plan to announce the launch of a new landscape restoration partnership this summer, which could represent the largest project of its kind in the UK.
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Notes to Editors
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 35,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. The Scottish Wildlife Trust seeks toraise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust receives financial assistance and support from a range of organisations, funders and individuals including Scottish Natural Heritage and People’s Postcode Lottery.
The John Muir Trust is the leading wild land conservation charity in the UK. The Trust works with people and communities to conserve, campaign and inspire, seeking to ensure that wild land is protected, and that wild places are valued by and for everyone.