SHOOTING INFORMATION: FOREST SERVICE LICENCE FOR SHOOTING 2025

Forest Service has available the following Forests for Licence:

Lot Number 18, Bradkeel & Ligfordrum

Lot Number 43, Drumcairne

A completed management plan/proposal must be completed and returned to Stephen Chapman, J. A. McClelland & Sons, Ballymena Livestock Market, Unit 1 Woodside Road, Ballymena BT42 4QJ, or emailed to sales@jamcclelland.com by Friday 29^th August 2025, to be forwarded to Forest Service.

Management plans must be submitted using the template provided. Answers must be provided to all questions including the pointers within the answer boxes. Incomplete plans and plans submitted on any other templates will be rejected.

The Licences are for a period ending 31^st March 2029. The Licences must be adhered to at all times.

It is a requirement of the Licence that if successful a Risk Assessment must be completed annually (or confirmation that the previous risk assessment is still adequate and reflects current risk). If it does not, a new risk assessment must be forwarded together with valid insurance cover worth at least £10M, which must always be produced annually.

A specimen Licence Agreement and Management Plan is attached.

Please note that if you operate as part of a club or syndicate the Licence should be held in the name of the club/syndicate with you as a contact. The agreement will need to be signed by three members of the club and a list of the members attached. This allows the club to retain the Licence should the contact person change or move on for any reason.

All applicants should be aware that The Environment Protection (Restriction on Use of Lead Shot) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 came into effect on 01 September 2009. This legislation applies to all shotgun shooters in Northern Ireland and to all bores of shotgun, without exception. It prohibits the use of lead shot on or over any area of wetland for any shooting activity. Wetlands are defined as, regardless of size, any areas of foreshore, marsh, fen, peatland with standing water, regularly or seasonally flooded fields and other water sources whether they be natural or man-made, static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt.

SHOOTING ON FOREST SERVICE LANDS 2025

ADVICE TO LICENSEES

Forest Service requires that all Licensees on Forest Service lands have a written statement identifying risks associated with shooting and also the controls in place to ensure the safety of shooters and other forest users.

All successful tenders will now be required to sign and enter into a Licence Agreement (specimen attached) which will require the Licensee to agree to carry out an annual risk assessment for all shooting activities before the start of each shooting season.

The following points should be considered when preparing a risk assessment:

• Identify any inherent forest hazards, such as quarries, mine shafts and deep water (this information is available at the local forest office and by means of a hazard statement)
• Identify other forest hazards such as visitors and forestry operations
• Identify emergency procedures in case of an accident
• Agree a system of communication with the local forest officer to avoid conflict with other forest users
• Comply with current best practice guidance on shooting activities

Further advice is available from: Forest Service, Inishkeen House, Killyhevlin BT74 4EJ Tel: 028 6634 3165