Threat to forest rallying in Britain

The future of forest rallying in Britain is in danger, according to a report in the weekly Autosport Magazine.

British motorsport's governing body - the Motor Sports Association - has called on everybody involved or with an interest in the sport to help stave off a threat to use of forest roads.

Forestry use in the UK is being considered by an independent panel and if there's not sufficient support for forest rallying before the end of the month, then it's possible motorsport could be banned from forests.

The MSA is urging all involved in the sport to act by contacting the government to let them know the importance of forests in rallying.

In an open letter car clubs throughout Britain, MSA chief executive Colin Hilton said: "The independent panel established earlier this year to look at the forestry issue and make recommendations to the government contains only one representative of leisure users – and that is the Ramblers' Association.

"Consequently, there is a great danger that the interests of motor sport will not be considered in the panel's final report; the disastrous impact of this would be to risk motor sport being excluded from both the public forest estate and any of the forests transferred into private ownership."

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