Michael Bruce recently attended two conferences in Barcelona on wildfire safety and prescribed burning and met with key figures on this area including Meritxell Serret Aleu, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food and Jordi Jane, the Minister of Interior from the Government of Catalonia.
As well as a safety conference which is part of a series, the new International Congress on Prescribed Fires attracted around 300 people, predominantly from Europe but also the USA, Australia, NZ, South America, and South Africa. Both conferences were hosted by Marc Castellnou, President of the Pau Costa Foundation of Catalonia, with Tom Zimmerman, President of the International Association of Wildland Fire, also hosting the International Congress.
There were representatives from Prescribed Burning Associations in the USA and lots of papers discussing the increasing need for fire services and government agencies to work with land managers on wildfire and prescribed burning issues, including heathland management and develop prescribed burning networks in Europe.
There were a number of good quality presentations on fire research in heathlands from the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, and Spain. Dr Roger Grau Andres from Glasgow University presented some of his research that had been carried out in Scotland, partly on Glen Tanar Estate in Aberdeenshire.
Michael Bruce said: "The UK has 80% of the heather habitat in the world, most of which is in Scotland, and therefore has the opportunity to lead the heathland management debate. Overall it was a very useful few days with a great deal learnt and valuable contacts made outwith the UK."
Michael Bruce conducts prescribed burning for a variety of conservation, forestry, moorland management and public safety purposes on Glen Tanar Estate. He is an instructor in fire management registered with Lantra Awards, Chairman of the South Grampian Wildfire Group and Vice-Chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum. He is currently assisting the Moorland Forum in the revision of the Muirburn Code.
