Chris York, of Walking-the-Talk, is continuing to lead this programme. Either
for those new to this or for those that need a reminder, I quote from Chris'
report.
The aim of CAPS is to integrate volunteer action with the maintenance programme
to provide added value to the contracted-out maintenance - volunteers report
on the condition of paths, this information is prioritised and fed to the contractors
before they start the annual maintenance programme. The outcomes of the maintenance
then need to be fed back to the volunteers. It is envisaged that the paths that
have been adopted will be given priority so that there is a clear link between
volunteer input and maintenance output.
As well as doing the surveys, volunteers are encouraged (but not expected) to undertake minor maintenance tasks on their adopted paths. This is limited to clearance of drainage features and does not involve any repair of structures. This probably sets the scheme apart from other volunteer path programmes that tend to focus more on repair and practical maintenance tasks.
The process is evolving as a result of feedback from volunteers and the contractors who are doing the maintenance. The main focus of CAPS is to gather information about the condition of the paths to allow COAT and the contractor to prioritise resources. The surveys need to be done as close to the time of the maintenance so that the information is up to date - maintenance is done in spring and autumn but the exact timing can vary to fit with other path work being done by the contractor. The volunteers are encouraged to use a proforma so that information is provided in a consistent format. It is recognised that there is a range of approaches to recording information that need to be accommodated and different paths require different levels of detail. There are 17 volunteers who have adopted 20 paths, of a total of 50 within the current scheme. The first full year of operation was 2012 and 10 paths were surveyed and reports submitted. In 2013 five path reports have been produced so far.
Chris is currently developing a new website.
So far in 2013, Chris has arranged two training days. Interestingly, he is making good progress with rolling out the scheme on the north side of the Cairngorms; something that always eluded us with our track survey scheme. Personally, I've had another very successful survey day. In our next issue of Mountain Views, Jasmine Cameron will give a personal account of her survey experiences.
Dave Windle
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