Mistyrayn Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 Dog Walkers At Risk If England’s Forests Are Sold, Warns Kennel Club document.write(formatDate(parseDate('2011-01-27',1),'dd-NNN-yy'));27-Jan-11 The Kennel Club has warned that dog walkers will face increasing restrictions in the countryside if England’s forests are sold to private buyers. The warning comes as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today launched a public consultation to consider the future of Forestry Commission land, a large proportion of which has been identified as a target for sale by the Government. The Kennel Club’s KC Dog group campaigns for dogs and their owners to enjoy maximum access to the UK’s open spaces. Forestry Commission land is currently one of the few places to promote off-lead exercise for dogs wherever possible and is not subject to dog control orders under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. Under a concordat signed in 2005, the Forestry Commission and the Kennel Club pledged to work together to improve human health and well-being through dog ownership, whilst respecting the forest environment and the needs of other users. The Kennel Club is therefore highly concerned that private landowners with commercial interests may not show the same regard as the Forestry Commission for dog walkers. It warns that the privatisation of Forestry Commission sites could limit areas for off-lead exercise, push dog walkers onto farmland and wildlife hotspots, alter or revoke additional access permissions, such as those for sled dogs, and introduce unregulated parking charging. Commenting on the Government’s plans, Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: “The privatisation of England’s forests poses a real threat to dog owners across the country. The ability to freely exercise your dog in a safe open space is an essential part of promoting a dog’s health and welfare. The implementation of these proposals will put this at risk and therefore have a devastating impact upon the nation’s dog walkers and their dogs.†The Kennel Club is calling upon all dog owners to respond to Defra’s consultation as a matter of urgency. A copy of the consultation document is available through both the Defra website and the Forestry Commission website, and closes on 21st April 2011. All consultation submissions should be sent to: Public Forest Estate Consultation Co-ordinator, Forestry Commission England, 620 Bristol Business Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1EJ. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3547/23/5/3 What can I do? The Kennel Club is calling upon all dog walkers to respond to the consultation as a matter of urgency, which is set to close on 21st April 2011.The consultation documents are available to view via both the Defra website and the Forestry Commission website, You can also write to your local MP and ask them to sign EDM 1337: Sale of Forests. Please click here to download the KC's template letter, or use the following points to help you with your consultation response: The Forestry Commission has always taken a positive and pragmatic approach to dog accessThe Kennel Club and the Forestry Commission signed a Concordat on 12th March 2005 at Crufts, committing each organisation to work together to improve human health and well-being through dog ownership, whilst respecting the forest environment and the needs of other users. Limiting off-lead access The Countryside and Rights of Way Act, which secures access to private land, is conditional upon dogs being kept on leads between 1 March and 31 July. The implementation of 'on lead' restrictions by private land managers will therefore significantly limit the areas owners can give their dogs essential off-lead exercise Pushing dog walkers onto farmland Dog walkers are already being forced into the countryside, as an increasing number of local authorities introduce dog control orders limiting dog walking in urban areas. Restricting rural access will further push dog walkers onto farmland and wildlife hotspots, causing unnecessary conflict with farmers and wildlife rangers. Parking charges With an increasing number of dog owners having to drive to rural spaces to walk their dogs, the prospect of unregulated car parking charges on private land is also of great concern. Changes to additional access permissions Additional access permissions, such as that for sled dogs, will not be protected under private landownership contracts, which could lead to higher fees or even termination of access altogether for certain groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Miss Bump Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 someone posted this the other day!!! too slow richard!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistyrayn Posted January 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 tried looking to see if anyone had but couldnt see it .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 First time Ive read it to be honest, so still serves its purpose I suppose LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahNukka&Shadow Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 I have written to my local MP and actually got a letter back this morning... basically my local MP is Labour so the gist of the letter was just "yeah we know isnt it awful, vote for us we'd NEVER do something like that!" Which isnt really what I was after but since I dont really know what I expected them to do I cant say I'm suprised! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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