Comments on Learning Rocks: Letter to my MP on selling off the woodland

Private trails in England tend to be DH or freerid...

2011-02-04T12:55:02.512Z

Private trails in England tend to be DH or freeride orientated - Redhill Extreme near Forest of Dean is probably the nearest example to Bristol.

Pay-to-ride really hasn't caught on in the wider MTB scene (and why should it, with so many great places we can ride for free). The only XC venue I can think of in England is this one in Wiltshire.

http://www.spirthilltrail.uk.com/

See you on the trails some time!

Hey Anthony, thanks for the comment. I'm not...

2011-02-04T10:43:42.703Z

Hey Anthony, thanks for the comment.

I'm not dogmatically opposed to private enterprise where it can do good, it's just hard to imagine anyone really doing a much better job than the FC. I'm really hoping that Stephen will adopt a more independently minded position, but since he is a junior spokesman he will probably find it hard not to toe the line. A great shame.

Which are the private trail centres around here? I'm really only familiar with the ones off MB-Wales. Growing up near Snowdonia I'm inclined to view most the hills in England as entirely inadequate and only really cope with South Wales' hills out of respect for their northern cousins, so I don't tend to bother looking else where.

And I promise that this year I will come and volunteer for some trail digging duty - I owe it to repair the lines I've ridden.

Hey Dan, Good to see other people who care about ...

2011-02-04T10:21:31.773Z

Hey Dan,

Good to see other people who care about the future of our forests.

I think you're spot on that the main issue isn't forests getting logged or destroyed - although mismanagement and exploitation will certainly be easier if accountability passes to hundreds of different owners, instead of one central body - but that an organisation which does a good job of getting people to enjoy woodland, and manages it well, is being decimated for no good reason.

You will almost certainly get a response from your MP stressing that the reforms give communities the chance to own a forest, and this is somehow "better" than them being managed by a central body, funded by the taxpayer (who do they think funds charities or community groups?!)

The reality is that overstretched and under-funded organisations will have to take on the responsibilities that were previously the FC's, and the government gets to drop some more token expenses from its balance sheet.

On the bright side, there are some private trail centres which manage to keep going despite overheads like insurance, and the reforms haven't been proposed for Wales - yet.

Cheers

Antony