I AM sure that John Muir would have been very proud of the decision taken recently to ask Alex Salmond to officially open a long-distance footpath dedicated to the great naturalist.

He would have been proud because he believed that the best way to advance the cause of conservation was to engage with those in power, people often perceived as "the enemy" by conservationists.

Mr Salmond and the Parliament that he represents would, judged on their past record, certainly fulfil that role. Who could forget Donald Trump's golf course, the Beauly-Denny power line and all those windmills in the wild places? The lack of vision and the cynical exploitation of the environment that has allowed such devastation is also evident in the failure to halt the continuing persecution of birds of prey.

Recently, on the Black Isle, there have been reports of the poisoning of red kites, birds which are supposedly protected under Schedule One of the Protection of Birds Act, the highest level of protection. This law is being continually broken because the people who do so usually get away with it.

Education and the involvement of local people can help to resolve many conservation issues, particularly those around the re-introduction of predatory species. If people understand the needs, habits and behaviour of birds such as red kites their concerns are often answered; if people can see that their own needs and concerns are being addressed they are more likely to be sympathetic.

This approach has been standard practice for many years now and has been shown to be effective.

Yet there are always people who reject it, for many reasons, hence the need for legal protection. For it to be effective, though, it must be rigorously enforced. We must all hold to account both the lawmakers and those who enforce the law.

When John Muir decided to engage with those in power he chose to approach the US President himself, Theodore Roosevelt. Together they created something wonderful. Unfortunately, the conservation movement does not appear to have anyone of the stature of John Muir among its ranks - neither is Alex Salmond a Theodore Roosevelt.

We must all hope that the First Minister sees this small ceremony as a chance to begin a new approach to the environment, and not another photo opportunity.

David McDiarmid,

7 Morwick Close,

Whitelea Chase,

Cramlington,

Northumberland.