UKC

Are there any UK crags on Forestry Commission land?

If so there's an interesting report in today's paper about FC stopping volunteers from maintaining the White Horse at Kilburn because of worries about safety, saying they don't want untrained people involving themselves in "unauthorised activities" on their property.

They don't mean tree felling, merely the clearing of minor vegetation from a patch of hillside whose angle I am pretty sure is less than 40 degrees.

This case of the jitters hasn't been brought on by any accident since the volunteers have a fifty year clean safety record.

A worrying decision, in my opinion.

Not sure where the trees stop and the crag starts but, isn't Harrisons Rocks within FC land?

p.s. Yes, I know the crag itself is owned by the BMC.

Harrison's Rocks

Looking at a FC map I suspect that a large number of crags come under their care and control, the nearby Whitestonecliff being one.

If they are worried about a few people hoeing and shrub tugging on a grassy hillside what will they make about an aspirant VS leader setting off up Nightwatch?

Symonds Yat and others in the wye valley?

A large portion of FC land will be access land.

Climbing activity by the general public is allowed under the CROW legislation. Undertaking land management work is not. 

Reasonable comments from the DailyMailerati ...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5556201/Family-cleared-White-Horse-...

It doesn't matter which paper it appeared in: the basic facts are the same. No more voluntary work without proper qualification/ certification.

And which activity would be more likely to present a worry in a risk assessment; voluntary  climbing or voluntary land management?

The latter I'd have thought, given that CRoW absolves them of liability for the former.

PS don't know who owns it but Whitestone is managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

About 90% is dedicated under CROW 

Wharncliffe and Turningstone are both on FC land. The area manager isn't keen on climbers clearing vegetation, and certainly wouldn't sanction any work. If I recall correctly this was largely because training, risk assessments would be lacking and this would cause friction with FC staff. A bit of looking the other way seems to be the done thing at Turningstone. Wharncliffe has its own set of issues as it is a geological SSSI.

That's odd. On at least two occasions last year there were articles in my local paper asking for volunteers for birch clearing days at Wharncliffe.

I couldn't remember who the organisers were but it seems to be an annual event for the Wharncliffe Heathlands Trust, who share management with the Forestry Commission.

Sorry, yes, should have been clearer. There is a trust that manages the land above the crag, and they do days of birch clearances to promote the biodiversity on the moor. (I had in my mind cleaning routes). Not sure what the implications of the trust's volunteer days are vis volunteer working on FC land.