New guide to tree safety management

Publishing the document Minister O’Neill said: “Our forests are a vital community resource and recent research has indicated that there are approximately 4.7 million visits to Forest Service woodlands annually.

“We are publishing the Tree Safety Management Guide because we want to keep forest visitors informed about how they may be affected by our tree safety management activity. It is also a useful source of advice to other forest owners and managers with similar obligations.”

The Minister added that tree safety management does not seek to eliminate risk but to reduce it to an acceptable level.

She said: “People enjoy trees in what they regard as ‘natural’ or ‘unmanaged’ places and will accept a degree of risk because of the value they bestow and the pleasure they derive from visiting or participating in leisure activities in our woodlands.”