MTBrider
03-12-2005, 10:27 PM
It’s no secret that off road cycling in Northern Ireland is severely behind the rest of the UK: Whilst Forest agencies in England, Scotland and Wales have fully embraced the recreational aspects of their forests, Forest Services Northern Ireland have lagged behind, seeing the 70,000 hectares of forest land they manage primarily as a source of timber, with little budget available to exploit the recreational side, and so unleash the vast health benefits a forest can offer.
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-6.jpg
Club MTBrider warms up for the meeting
It is presently estimated that whilst 77% of the population visit a forest at least once a year, fewer than 2m actual visits are made to our forests. Roughly translated these figures mean just over a quarter of the population visit the forests on average 3 times a year. But this could be about to change as Forest Service (FS) have acknowledged this short fall and have plans to address the issue by reviewing the 1953 Forestry Act, specifically with the aim of increasing public access and recreational use of our forests.
Today in Belvoir Park, Forest Services held the forth of thier public meetings to discuss their document "Options for Forestry (http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/consultations/index.htm)".
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-4.jpg
Attendance at the Belvoir meeting was good with over 50 concerned users making the effort
Obesity is becoming as big a drain on the health service as smoking so it’s little wonder that governments all over Europe are looking at ways they can encourage their respecteive populations to become more active, likewise almost all officials have realised that open land and specifically forests have an important role to play in this quest. In this respect Northern Ireland has a greater hill to climb than most as only 6% of the country is forest land, compared to 10% in the rest of the UK and over 30% in mainland land Europe.
Along with lots of positive changes proposed which will see our forests grow in size over the coming years, it is proposed that the responsibility for access and recreation should be handed over to the local councils. On the face of it, this appears to make a lot of sense: Local councils are already accountable to their rate payers, they have local knowledge and the people on the ground to understand the publics demands and implement their needs. However there is another side to this proposal: If it goes a head 26 different organisations will be in charge of our forests and implementing our right to access to these forests. Each individual organisation will have their own strategy for developing the forests that fall within their boundaries and they will have their own unique policies in respect of who can and can’t use the forests. Moreover any plans they draw up for the development of access and recreation in our forests will have to be put before the Forest Service for approval before implementation, that’s the very body who wishes to relinquish the responsibility in the first place!
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-1.jpg
MTBer's were well represented with 15 MTBrider regulars turning out
Regards funding, FS have said in the proposals that the portion of their budget set aside for access and recreation will be taken from their overall budget and split between the local councils, to help fund their new responsibilities. However it is widely known that this budget is already inadequate so when that pot of money is split between the 26 local councils, even FS agree that this would result in a higher administrative cost and so less funds being available for facilities to the general public in our forests.
Over the previous week MTBrider has spoken with many officials and councillors from most of the local councils and so far 25 out of 26 have said they have already, or intend to formally opposed the proposals, some on the grounds of lack of funding, some on the grounds that they feel this is the responsibility of Forest Service.
Said one official we spoke to “Castlereagh Council unanimously decided to reply to the document stating that they had no desire to become responsible for managing our local Forests, and Ratepayers would not want their rates increased to do so.”
However at Saturdays public meeting in Belvoir Forest to discuss the proposals Pat Hunter Blair (FS Director of Policy) said in his presentation that “at least 12 councils have already agreed in principal to take on their local forest”.
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-5.jpg
FS Director of Policy chats with MTBrider after the meeting
When asked after the meeting about this discrepancy another council official commented that whilst those in middle management can see the long term impact of such a move and would oppose it, some senior councillors are “empire building” and so would welcome any additional responsibilities irrespective of the negative impact this might have on the public.
So what next?
The public meetings are now over and the consultation process finishes on March 31st, however Forest Service have stated that this is purely a consultation process, no decisions have yet been made and they are still keen to hear the views of forest users. If you have a view on this, or any other aspect of the Options for Forestry consultation paper we strongly urge you to write to Forest Service and make your feelings known.
Without your input FS have no way of knowing if we, the forest users agree or disagree with their proposals, so click the link (http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/consultations/index.htm), and get writing.
All pictures copyright and courtesy Reac Photography.
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-6.jpg
Club MTBrider warms up for the meeting
It is presently estimated that whilst 77% of the population visit a forest at least once a year, fewer than 2m actual visits are made to our forests. Roughly translated these figures mean just over a quarter of the population visit the forests on average 3 times a year. But this could be about to change as Forest Service (FS) have acknowledged this short fall and have plans to address the issue by reviewing the 1953 Forestry Act, specifically with the aim of increasing public access and recreational use of our forests.
Today in Belvoir Park, Forest Services held the forth of thier public meetings to discuss their document "Options for Forestry (http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/consultations/index.htm)".
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-4.jpg
Attendance at the Belvoir meeting was good with over 50 concerned users making the effort
Obesity is becoming as big a drain on the health service as smoking so it’s little wonder that governments all over Europe are looking at ways they can encourage their respecteive populations to become more active, likewise almost all officials have realised that open land and specifically forests have an important role to play in this quest. In this respect Northern Ireland has a greater hill to climb than most as only 6% of the country is forest land, compared to 10% in the rest of the UK and over 30% in mainland land Europe.
Along with lots of positive changes proposed which will see our forests grow in size over the coming years, it is proposed that the responsibility for access and recreation should be handed over to the local councils. On the face of it, this appears to make a lot of sense: Local councils are already accountable to their rate payers, they have local knowledge and the people on the ground to understand the publics demands and implement their needs. However there is another side to this proposal: If it goes a head 26 different organisations will be in charge of our forests and implementing our right to access to these forests. Each individual organisation will have their own strategy for developing the forests that fall within their boundaries and they will have their own unique policies in respect of who can and can’t use the forests. Moreover any plans they draw up for the development of access and recreation in our forests will have to be put before the Forest Service for approval before implementation, that’s the very body who wishes to relinquish the responsibility in the first place!
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-1.jpg
MTBer's were well represented with 15 MTBrider regulars turning out
Regards funding, FS have said in the proposals that the portion of their budget set aside for access and recreation will be taken from their overall budget and split between the local councils, to help fund their new responsibilities. However it is widely known that this budget is already inadequate so when that pot of money is split between the 26 local councils, even FS agree that this would result in a higher administrative cost and so less funds being available for facilities to the general public in our forests.
Over the previous week MTBrider has spoken with many officials and councillors from most of the local councils and so far 25 out of 26 have said they have already, or intend to formally opposed the proposals, some on the grounds of lack of funding, some on the grounds that they feel this is the responsibility of Forest Service.
Said one official we spoke to “Castlereagh Council unanimously decided to reply to the document stating that they had no desire to become responsible for managing our local Forests, and Ratepayers would not want their rates increased to do so.”
However at Saturdays public meeting in Belvoir Forest to discuss the proposals Pat Hunter Blair (FS Director of Policy) said in his presentation that “at least 12 councils have already agreed in principal to take on their local forest”.
http://www.mtbrider.com/images/fs_meeting/FS-meeting-5.jpg
FS Director of Policy chats with MTBrider after the meeting
When asked after the meeting about this discrepancy another council official commented that whilst those in middle management can see the long term impact of such a move and would oppose it, some senior councillors are “empire building” and so would welcome any additional responsibilities irrespective of the negative impact this might have on the public.
So what next?
The public meetings are now over and the consultation process finishes on March 31st, however Forest Service have stated that this is purely a consultation process, no decisions have yet been made and they are still keen to hear the views of forest users. If you have a view on this, or any other aspect of the Options for Forestry consultation paper we strongly urge you to write to Forest Service and make your feelings known.
Without your input FS have no way of knowing if we, the forest users agree or disagree with their proposals, so click the link (http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/consultations/index.htm), and get writing.
All pictures copyright and courtesy Reac Photography.