It's not often us mountainboarders find our selves be directly effected by political decisions. Which unless you permanently live in a warm
facebook bubble. You will have herd that in the continuing budget crises this country faces. The governments
latest money making plan is to sell off a most of the land owned by the
Forestry Commission.
Which you might be thinking fine, but the hills will always be there and with
SSSI's and other laws to safe guard our environment. The chances are those hills are still going to covered in trees, so no worries there then!
It's not that they might get the bulldozer's out and start throwing up houses we should be worried about, even though it is a risk. The big worry is, access. Which is an odd one for mountainbaorders. Since, as a mountainboard you have very few legal rights to ride down your favourite trail through the woods. The closest we have is the
Forestry Commission code of conduct. Which is a good case in point if the woods get sold off to lots different people.
When Carl started down the road to get permission back to ride at Wendover by setting up a code of conduct. He first started talking to his local ranger, who in turn talked to his boss. Who then thought it would be good to get the code of conduct rolled out across the whole of the Forestry Commission. And when it was all agreed it gave mountainboarders pretty much permission to ride in any woods throughout the UK. This was only possible because the amount land/woods/forest the commission owns.
If the woods get sold off, then more often than not they are broken up into smaller lots and bought by different people. Now could you imagine what it would be like to get permission to ride just in your local woods. If they were owned by 2 or 3 different people, each with their own thoughts, feels and plans for their bit of the woodland. You might get lucky and they might all agree but I doubt it. If they have already put up the fences marking out their own bit woods you have got no chance.
And this is the second point we have all reccied tracks only to think "that word be sick, except for that gate half way down" When people buy bits of land they have a habit of putting fences so they know where their bit stops and their neighbours begins. Even if there is a footpath crossing their land legally all they have to do is maintain the access. Which means putting in a gate or style in the where the path crosses the fence.
With such a momentous change in the way the British countryside is organised. Individuals are forming
pressure groups to make us their voices are herd. And as you may have guessed there is a
facebook page to add your support to. Also all the conservation charity's like the
National Trust and the
Woodland trust are organising campaigns.
So what to do, get on the web have a look to if your fav' spot is under threat and if it is GET INVOLVED. Because at the end of the day if someone does put a fence across your favourite trail you will only have your self to blame.
