Hi Everyone

All the team is working flat out at the moment doing all we can to save the Clashindarroch Forest. Our formal windfarm objection has been drafted and we will share it with you when it has been signed off. In the meantime Nicola Sturgeon continues to remain silent on this matter and has not responded to this petition, which at 589,000 is the biggest British wildlife petition ever. Sturgeon's inaction is not acceptable to us and so we need your help to ensure she is left in no uncertain terms about the magnitude of this issue. We would like you all to write to Nicola Sturgeon and express your serious concerns that her own government agencies are currently logging the last forest home of the last wildcats as you read this email.

Below is a template letter drafted by our legal team. It would be fantastic if each and every one of you could write to the First Minister to complain about this grave situation. Copy and past the template but be sure to add any of your own comments or points. The more variety in your letters and the more points raised, the better and the more likely they will be taken into account.

Remember this is a fight we simply have to win and it's time that the key decision maker is left in no uncertain terms about the desperate plight of the Scottish wildcat. To focus your minds, the picture shown with this message was taken a matter of hours ago.

The letter and email address are below. Many thanks in advance.

Remember you can also tweet Nicola Sturgeon at: 

https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon

Her email address is: firstminister@gov.scot

TEMPLATE LETTER

Letter to First Minister of Scotland

Scottish Government

St Andrews House

Regent Road

Edinburgh

EH1 3DG

 

By email to: firstminister@gov.scot

 

Dear First Minister,

Illegal Logging Activity, Forest and Land Scotland, Clashindarroch Forest, By Huntly, Aberdeenshire

I am writing to you personally to express my grave concern at the way in which the Scottish Government and its agencies are presiding over – indeed in this case, now directly facilitating – the extinction of one of the world’s rarest species, the Scottish Wildcat. This lack of leadership places Scotland’s global reputation in the environmental sphere in jeopardy and, moreover, I believe the failure to intervene and remedy this issue will set a dangerous precedent, undermining the environmental rule of law both for this species and others like it.

I believe this issue arises due to failures in joined-up Government working, given the cross-over in responsibilities between several portfolios and intersecting responsibilities, and legacy conservation failings, which merit this issue now being brought personally to your attention. I would expect Cabinet should address this matter and because of the rule of law issues involved I suggest you also forward this letter directly to the Lord Advocate.

As you will no doubt be aware, the Scottish wildcat is a truly iconic species, embedded deeply into Scotland’s history, culture and traditions (even featuring in several of the Scottish clan crests). It is now critically endangered – seventy-five times rarer than the giant panda – and at risk from, amongst others, habitat destruction and hybridisation. Yet, the most significant wild remaining population so far identified anywhere in Scotland has been found on government owned land at the Clashindarroch Forest, Aberdeenshire.

It would be anticipated this would be a good news story for this species. However, notwithstanding this, I understand that Forestry and Land Scotland – the agency charged with custodianship and stewardship of this unique forest – is undertaking highly invasive logging activities at this site, including during highly sensitive mating and breeding seasons, without complying either with the advice of their own specialist ecologist advisors and critically without adhering to legal requirements to obtain a European Protected Species licence from SNH for potential disturbance of the species. I assert that this constitutes wildlife crime.

The Scottish Government have also this year importantly demonstrated in leadership that no-one is above the law. It is, in our view, incumbent on your agencies to also  do as they ask of others in this situation. 

CLASHINDARROCH FOREST

The Clashindarroch forest has been described by your own government officials as a ‘wildcat wonderland’. Wildcat Haven have now uncovered unambiguous evidence of logging in the Clashindarroch which threatens the very existence of the population of at least 13 wildcats there.

Our clients have obtained evidence of logging within key wildcat areas and that this activity has been carried out during the breeding season. We submit that such activity is unlawful and can cause mothers to kill and eat their own young through stress. There is no proper handle either on breeding or resting sites for the species.

Expert staff within your own agencies have raised concerns to managers which are being dismissed – we have reason to suspect, driven by political and financial reasons. Therefore, we must assert that the breaches of environmental law in this instance are now being undertaken wilfully.  

After a short period of cessation of logging activity, logging has now recommenced at pace, prompting my decision to now write personally to you.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS SOUGHT

·         Logging activity at site must cease immediately.

·         Establish the Clashindarroch Forest as a protected site. A working group should be convened to assess long-term options for the protective designation of this site. I suggest that a test of real leadership would be to act on the evidence presented to your agencies and now afford the Clashindarroch the additional protective designations it merits – recognising its unique importance.

FAILURES OF SCOTTISH WILDCAT ACTION

For completeness, I also take this opportunity to draw attention to the failures of the Scottish Wildcat Action, the ‘official’ government action  plan.

This government action plan to save the species commenced in 2015 and secured £2 million of public money. At that time official figures put the wildcat population at circa 400. Today – 5 years on and after spending that £2 million –  the population has been declared by the same government action plan as “functionally extinct”.

The levels of ineptitude, gross-negligence and failure to comply with basic requirements of EU law displayed by various departments in your government has been disturbing to observe.

Currently the Scottish government has:

1.    No accurate figure of the remaining population;

2.    No consistent or robust definition for what even constitutes wildcat; and

3.    No plan at all as to how to save the animal in the wild – where it rightfully belongs.

There are too many areas of concern to mention but I will summarise the main points below.

PERFORMANCE OF SCOTTISH WILDCAT ACTION

·         2 million of public money spent and, in my opinion, wasted irresponsibly.

·         5 initial priority areas, now only 2 remain.

·         Very little meaningful fieldwork undertaken (low numbers so domestic cats neutered, inability to find cats, vast areas of Scotland not surveyed). This means simply that there is not the required evidence base needed for robust decisions to be taken.

·         Serious welfare concerns raised (catching cats with an agenda of captivity and examples of blowing feral cats’ heads off with shotguns).

·         Population from 400 to “functionally extinct” in less than 5 years. Any final report cannot possibly  ‘spin’ this as success.

·         Poor environmental governance, lack of leadership exhibited by key agencies and discriminatory actions against those standing up for the interests of the species.

·         Overall, a publicity disaster.

·         Influence over scientific decision-making through vested captive breeding and zoo agendas.

PUBLIC INTEREST SUPPORT

I have signed a change.org petition to lobby your government so that you will stop the destruction of this key wildcat stronghold. The petition stands at over 589,242 and is the biggest wildlife petition ever in the UK. I understand you will have already received over 1000 letters about this from members of the public to date.

If the Scottish Wildcat does become extinct, I assert that it will be through the negligence of the Scottish Government. Instead, your Government still has the power to intervene and prevent this from happening.

I urge you to use your unique influence to intervene – ensure the environmental rule of law is upheld – and to collectively re-focus efforts to protecting this iconic species in the wild.

Yours sincerely,