Vol. 427 No. 2
130 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry , the number of nature trails which have been laid out by the forestry and wildlife service at different points in the country; whether these are still being well maintained; whether booklets describing the nature trail are still available in honesty boxes at the carparks or entrance to the trail; and if he will make a statement on the future of this form of interpretive work.
The forest service of my Department promotes the establishment of planned recreational forestry. In these forests the emphasis is on the provision of public recreational facilities, including walks and nature trails, designed to attract visitors, tourists and sportspersons. Approximately 1,300 hectares of these forests have been established under the operational programme for rural development. In addition Coillte Teoranta welcomes visitors to its forests.
My Department has no responsibility for the day-to-day operations of Coillte Teoranta. However, I understand that the company published a booklet Discovering Ireland's Woodlands which is available from Coillte offices and will shortly be available in each of the forest parks. This publication lists the woodland walks on Coillte properties.
