A deer management group in Aberdeenshire has become the first in Scotland to sign the Common Ground Accord.
Against a background of growing polarisation in the debate on deer management in Scotland, the Accord was created by the Common Ground Forum, an award-winning initiative which brings together those involved in managing deer in upland Scotland.
The Accord sets out a commitment to respect different land management objectives, engage with others both honestly and with an open mind and work together for mutually beneficial solutions.
The Upper Deeside and Donside Land Management Group has now become the first constituted deer management group to sign up to the Accord. The Group comprises seventeen land managers in the private, charitable and public sectors who work constructively together to manage wild deer and other common land-based interests in an area covering around a quarter of the Cairngorms National Park.
Mark Nicholson of Group member Mar Estate explained:
“There has been much heat in the last few years about whether there are too many deer or too few deer in some places, with socio-economic and environmental objectives sometimes being seen to clash.
“In the experience of our Group, the discussion often underplays the ability of people to work together. In the Upper Deeside and Donside area we have wide range of objectives both between and within estate members. The Group provides a place to understand deer populations and movements, identify conflicts and resolve them. These principles are exactly what the Common Ground Accord is about, exemplifying how collaboration can work.”
The Common Ground Forum emerged in 2023 from a two year Finding the Common Ground project in which civic mediators Centre for Good Relations worked with people from across the polarised upland deer management sector to start building trust and relationships. Project Manager for the Forum, Helen MacIntyre, said:
“It is often the case that communication is the key to delivering results. That is particularly true with wild deer which don’t recognise the boundaries we as humans create.
“The Forum takes this concept of communication and trust and seeks to find greater respect and collaboration throughout the upland deer management sector. Many deer management groups already do this, with successes as can be seen in the Upper Deeside and Donside area. The Forum broadens this approach, bringing together individuals and organisations who perhaps have not always communicated well with each other to encourage respectful dialogue and collaboration to achieve better outcomes for everyone.”