Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: suspectmonkey on June 15, 2011
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If you can spare a moment, please check out this news story on a local mountain biking website - http://www.mtbrider.com/content.php?31-Re-DARD-at-it-again
A Forest Service consultation on proposed revisions to Forest land byelaws is open - it's vitally important that as many as possible (individuals and preferably clubs) respond to it before 23 June.
Of concern are clauses that propose that it will become ILLEGAL to be in a forest on a bike (other than in a 'designated area'), and ILLEGAL to be in a forest AT ALL (whether on foot or bike) after dark, with hefty fines attaching to both.
Links to the proposed byelaws are here:
http://www.dardni.gov.uk/forestservice/letter-byelaws.pdf
http://www.dardni.gov.uk/forestservice/microsoft_word_-_forestry_land_byelaws__northern_ireland__2011.pdf
There is a draft response at the link above that can be filled out in just a few short minutes and sent to DARD by e-mail. People are also being encouraged to contact their local MLA's. If the byelaws go through then night hikes though Tollymore, Castlewellan, Glenarriff etc. will run the risk of you landing a fine. Ludicrous! Just remember that although this was posted on a mountain biking website, it effects everyone who uses Forest Service areas.
Apologies for hijacking Suspectmonkeys thread but I think this is useful in addition:
This is a suggested response by MTBRider. I removed the specific part about mountain biking because I think it is important that this is an issue of access for everyone, not just cyclists. Just copy and paste into a document, add your comment where the {} is and email to jan.davidson@dardni.gov.uk or post to the address. Also worth noting that michelle.oneil@MLA.niassembly.gov.uk is the DARD minister and it would be useful to also contact her.
Your name
Your address
Date:
Jan Davidson
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Policy & Legislation Branch, Forest Service
Room 20
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Ballymiscaw
Belfast BT4 3SB
Dear Jan,
Consultation on Forestry Land Byelaws
I am writing in response to calls for views on the above consultation, and have comments as follows:
Byelaw 5 (1) The right of access granted under section 31(1) of the Act is excluded between sunset and sunrise.
{insert your own comment here}
I trust these comments will be useful to the Department as part of the wider consultation, and I look forward to the Department’s response.
Yours sincerely,
(by email)
YOUR NAME
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I got e-mail from trail badger regarding this. I'll be sending a objection to this!
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if they can't police their campsites, what chance have they got of policing the remote bits :D
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With these things it's not actually about whether they actively police it, it's that they can when they want. So they bring in the law now and we carry on as normal but safe in the knowledge that if they chose to fine us they could.
Access to forestry land
5.—(1) The right of access granted under section 31(1) of the Act is excluded between sunset
and sunrise
It is an offence to contravene any provision of these byelaws, and any person committing such an
offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, and
in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 3 on the
standard scale in respect of each day during which the offence is continued after conviction
It seems odd that they would bring in such a draconian, sweeping law. For instance, does this mean in winter you can't take your dog for a walk in the local forest after 4pm because it's getting dark? Seems ridiculous..
However, if this is the case I'm not totally suprised. These things are generally organised by some pen pushing bureaucrat who doesn't actually enjoy the outdoors and therefore doesn't necessarily understand (or care) about the wider implications of their proposals.
if they can't police their campsites, what chance have they got of policing the remote bits :D
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I sent my reply but to be honest I cant see it happening.
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you can contact all your MLAs and MPs from here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
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I have added an official thread for this topic - I think we needs to band together and try and do somthing about this.
Please add you thoughts to this thread, even if it repeats this thread so we have all information in a central place:
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2142 (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2142)
Thanks Jonny for bringing this up!