Recent evidence shows bat roosting season may have begun and the Scottish Executive may be destroying protected bat habitat as eviction looms for Monday. Protesters brace themselves for a likely eviction on Monday morning. Surprisingly, the eviction did not happen this weekend, but Monday is the first full working day since the eviction order. In the case of an eviction protesters have vowed to stay in the trees, and would appreciate the presence of supporters on the ground and journalists to document any possible police brutality. The tree-sits are in protected bat roosting grounds. According to the eviction order taken to court last Friday, the Scottish Executive "will not be able to fell trees that contain bat roosts after the period of hibernation for the bats begin unless they obtain licenses to do so. The period of hibernation is likely to begin at the end of the month of November." In which case the next few days are critical for the tree-sit, for bat-roosting would be their own testimony likely begin Wednesday. Also, bat hibernation season usually begins as soon as temperatures drop below freezing, which happened last Thursday. According to Ewan Campbell from Scottish Natural Heritage, "Any trees with potential bat interest which will require supervised felling are identified on site with the letter 'B' spray painted onto the trunk" and "We have made it clear that if any trees along the route are identified as potential roost habitat, these will be serial-felled (cutting off large limbs from the top downwards) rather than felled from the base" with the work "carried out in the presence of a suitably qualified ecologist." Protesters claim that the some of five trees felled in Dalkeith Park last week were marked as potential bat habitat, but they were felled against regulations from the base and without any supervision from an ecologist. This could easily and could even have already killed roosting bats. Protesters are in need of a solicitor to represent their case, as well as a bat ecologist to independently investigate bat roosting in the endangered Dalkeith Park. BACKGROUND INFO AND CONTACTS Dalkeith Country Park is a historic 850 acre park that serves as a valuable wildlife habitat and is visited by 50,000 people annually. The proposed bypass would cut the wildlife habitat in two, and while the 1999 Strategic Road Review noted it would offer journey savings, it also noted the bypass would cause "generally negative ratings in the other environmental factors, including global air quality, water, ecology, visual impacts, heritage, and landscape character." Although construction is not supposed to begin officially until the summer of 2006, because of the early spring nesting season of birds and bats, tree-felling is to begin immediately. In response to this emergency, anti-roads protesters have set-up a tree-sit and walkways in the pines that are in the path of the extension. Protesters will remain in the trees until the bypass is defeated. CONTACT Dalkeith Protest Site Phone: 077839043697 For more information on the campaign to Save Dalkeith Country Park, visit the website of the legal campaign: www.save-dalkeith-park.org.uk/ There is a petition on the Scottish Executive¡Çs site running until the end of November: epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/list_petitions.asp Directions to the Protest Site The site is in a stand of pines on the north side of the River Esk after the two branches have joined and near the cut for the overhead electric lines. Enter Dalkeith Country Park at the north end- entrance off of the A6094 at Smeaton Lodge (between Dalkeith and Whitecraig). Go past Home Farm towards the River Esk, after crossing the bridge the protest site can be accessed by the first farm track on the left (note the site is not accessible for vehicles). Alternatively, enter Dalkeith Country Park from the main entrance off of the High Street in Dalkeith. Stay on the road leading to the right past the adventure playground, shop and cafeteria; after passing the grazing fields and the power line cut the road will split. Take the left fork towards the River Esk. After crossing the bridge, the protest site can be accessed by the first farm track on the left. From Edinburgh, Lothian Buses 3 and 3a go to Dalkeith.

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http://www.save-dalkeith-park.org.uk