New Forestry Byelaws - FINES FOR BEING IN A FOREST AFTER DARK - Please read

[DryBag]

I think it's [email protected]

[admin]

Well spotted. This is the correct email [email protected] and has been fixed in the first post.

Cheers for the headsup!

This email address is invalid.....

[email protected]

[DryBag]

It's also not possible to wild camp any more on Forestry land, I've just had to re-organise an entire DoE hike because they're going to have to camp at the official campsite at Gortin Glen instead of on the mountains    If they want to walk off the official paths they will need to apply in advance and get official permission, compete with route maps.

This is more likely to be related to the current larch disease outbreak than just random clamping down on nice people doing good things.

[indianian]

some of the points made by Simon Barry are feasible, people lighting camp fires in woods in a dry season is risky, and when drinks involved then disasters not far away!!!!  Annalong wood is in ruins,  also the amount of rubbish brought on to the Mournes and left behind is getting out of control,   the shelter at lough shannagh looks like a rubbish tip.  if this keep up it may not just be forest areas that camping is banned.

[Simon Barry]

If you think this is unique to N. Ireland - see here

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/moves-to-ban-wild-camping-in-certain-areas-around-loch-lomond-and-the-trossachs

as far as I know the ban around Loch Lomond is in place - and the last time I went up Glen Etive it looked like the remains of a travellers camp with sh_te everywhere

[Oisín]

Quite frankly I think this is terrible and I dont care what you say.

I dont really think anyone should be able to stop/limit your time in the outdoors. I'm sorry, but if I want to go camp at X location, then I'm going to go camp at X location.

I understand the issues of litter and forest fires being a serious issue, but this is not the way to deal with it.  If anything its us who help it, we're the ones who go out into the forest and if we spot litter then we bring it back, or if we see something wrong we're more and likely the ones to do anything about it than anyone else. They cant possibly stop every single person from camping out or walking in these forests after sunset/before sunrise. The way I'm reading it, its making it out as we're some sort of cult that is damaging the forest.

I dont like how humans claim land and all that, you'd think with us being the intelligent species we might realise that the land doesnt belong to anyone or anything, and that its more we belong to it, and depend on it more than we realise.

If this byelaw does go ahead I' imagining I myself might accumulate a criminal record along with a few others, the way they are heading it will be criminal to be outdoors at all.

[Greyfox]

Ive jumped on and sent this around to the bushcraft forums over the water, i have also sent it to the irish bushcraft club so hopefully they will pass the word around. Im going to do the USA next!

GF

[Greyfox]

The americans are now on the ball!

GF

[Samm]

This is more likely to be related to the current larch disease outbreak than just random clamping down on nice people doing good things.

I don't think this is the reason.  I was at a meeting with DARD recently about the Phytophthora outbreaks and they were quite happy for us (other government agency) to be wandering round all their properties with no added biosecurity controls.  As long as we obeyed any controls on known sites they were happy.  Completely baffled to why they are doing what they're doing.  Fire occurs and litter accumulates in daylight hours too.

[GASP Gary]

This will not help to target the firestarters who creep in and set blazes! If more people were in the forests at night, perhaps some of these anti-social elements would be caught.

Banning access is not a good idea.

[KittyKatArmstrong]

Just a few thoughts...from over the sheugh.

On the subject of wild-camping - dunno about DoE in NIron, but over here wildcamping for DoE is very frowned upon.  It is illegal without the landowners consent and there is only one area I know of (Dartmoor) where consent is given automatically/by byelaw - even there areas are limited to named spots. In certain areas (Peak District) wild-camping by anyone is absolutely forbidden (but you just get moved on, have no knowledge of anyone being fined).

Your thoughts?

(Regardless...as a blanket ban I think it is retrograde step and am protesting)

It might just be because we're Scouts but I've always taken my Explorers off-site / greenfield / wild if at all possible.  Have trowel will travel.  Also I'd rather have the kids wild with me nearby than on a site with the public and without me.  If they're on a campsite then someone has to be with them which to me defeats the object of the exercise.  All their training hikes have been camping in forests / quarries / hillsides.  Campsites are for the cubs

[admin]

We knew about the mountain biking issue but since Trailbadger and MTBRider were specifically looking at that element, we were concentrating purely on the question of open access.
Obviously there's no reason people can't do both. Just wanted to make it clear that we weren't ignoring the cycling element, just dividing our forces between a handful of online communities.

[Kayakgirl]

Me thinks we need the help of these boys..

[preacherman]

Ive jumped on and sent this around to the bushcraft forums over the water, i have also sent it to the irish bushcraft club so hopefully they will pass the word around. Im going to do the USA next!

GF

Hi folks, the Irish Bushcraft Club are fully behind your campaign and will do what we can to help.

Good luck with it all.

Andrew

[admin]

More coverage from 4ni with a quote from NI Rural Development Minister Michelle O'Neill.

http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=128214