Forestry
Fees ... Is there a better way? ... It would appear that my opinionated views
on the recent Jim Clark Reivers Rally incited some debate while at the same
time prompting some questions. For instance, many of today's rallying youngsters
and newcomers will be completely unaware that once upon a time the Forestry
Commission, as a public body, didn't charge motor sport for the use of their
forests.
That
all changed as cars got quicker and tyres got grippier, but prior to the introduction
of a flat-rate mileage fee in the mid 1980s, there was a straightforward charge
based on a simple fee for each car entered per mile of forest road used. The
amount paid to the FC was therefore determined by the numbers of cars entered
and the length of each rally, there was no issue of a 'break-even' figure.
The
system worked well at the time but as forestry charges increased, organisers
and regulators sought an alternative solution, the flat-rate fee. But is the
time now ripe for a re-think of forestry pricing?
It
would appear that a certain Mr Bunnet has joined the debate and is stoking the fading
embers of forest rallying fires. Taking inspiration from certain Mr Blair: "Is there a better way?"
he explains the history and proposes some new thinking.
Admittedly
it's a long-ish article (no surprise there!) so fire up the percolater and peel
a caramel wafer before tackling it.
By all
means share this link with your clubs, associations, championships and fellow
competitors. If we just sit back and do nowt we will be able to watch the grass
grow under our feet while ramblers, cyclists and bird watchers rule the
forestry roads.
