‘Holistic’ approach on cards for Solway Coast

NEARLY £500,000 has been divided among various environmental groups to preserve and enhance the Solway Coast. The Solway Coast and Marine Project (SCAMP) is underway to improve the condition of the Solway Firth and respond to the climate and nature crises by reconnecting habitats and creating more resilient communities. With millions of pounds coming from the National Heritage Lottery Fund and other external funding sources over the coming years, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s environment team is leading the coastal regeneration project. The council recently handed out substantial funding awards to partner groups involved in the SCAMP project. Those were: Crichton Carbon Centre £102,202; Dumfries and Galloway Woodlands – £81,500; Galloway Fisheries Trust – £144,807; GSA Biosphere – £42,159; Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – £70,375; and Solway Firth Partnership – £41,498. Further funding awards are being created for the Stranraer Development Trust (£28,437) and the Southern Upland Partnership (£17,000). A council report, due to be tabled at the council’s economic and infrastructure committee next week, states: “Coastal communities will be at the heart of this holistic seascape approach, and we will focus our work on five key habitats: native oyster reefs, seagrass beds, saltmarsh, sand dunes and coastal woodlands. “SCAMP will deliver a ten-year holistic seascape programme to understand, conserve and develop the potential of the natural, cultural and built heritage for the people of the Solway Firth. SCAMP will focus on a range of large-scale interventions and activities to deliver a coherent, and co-ordinated approach to reconnect people to the amazing Solway Firth seascape. “SCAMP will leave the Solway Firth in a healthier condition, better understood, protected and will maximise the potential of the seascape to respond to today’s nature and climate crises.” The Solway Firth is one of the most important estuaries in Britain, shared between Scotland and England, its amazing seascape is vital for people and wildlife. The Dumfries and Galloway coastline along the Solway Firth runs for 210 miles.