Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Leading country sports and rural campaigning organisation, Countryside Alliance Ireland, has warmly welcomed the passing of the Forestry Bill through the committee stage in Stormont.  

From the outset, Countryside Alliance Ireland has strongly disagreed with proposals to allow the Forest Service to amend the Forestry Act to provide powers to monitor and, if necessary, control deer and other large mammal populations on all land whether Forestry land or not. 

Lyall Plant, Chief Executive of Countryside Alliance Ireland said: “We believe that the Forest Service does not have the manpower and resources to manage wild deer populations and we would rather see the Forest Service produce a detailed deer management plan, in consultation with a range of interested parties.  

Indeed, we would argue that country sports can play a leading role in the management of wildlife and in particular the control of species that present a problem within the forest environment. Other countries have let the sporting rights of their forests, which has assisted in their management by controlling invasive species, while generating additional revenue. 

We feel that this approach should be explored and adopted by the forest service and included in the new Forestry Act. 

We eagerly await the publication of the final report from the committee”.