Scottish public body managing the national forest estate
Heathland fire near Ryvoan Bothy in the Cairngorms National Park has expanded to several kilometres, prompting evacuations of campsites, hotels and nearby facilities. Fire crews remain on scene with multi-agency support as authorities warn of continued risk amid hot, windy conditions.
Experts warn Scotland’s open moorland and hill ground face fragmentation amid government land-use shifts toward woodland expansion, natural capital projects and renewables. The new Charter for the Open Hill calls for protection and a strategy to shield key open landscapes from landscape change.
The National Park Service is removing mountain goats from the Tetons after a three-year effort to protect native bighorn sheep. Park officials say nonnative goats pose disease risks and compete for habitat, prompting ongoing removal by specialized contractors as rangers engage the public in reporting sightings.