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The Rivers Access Campaign is being undertaken by the British Canoe Union (BCU) to open up the inland water-ways in England and Wales on behalf of members of the public. Under current UK law, public access to rivers is restricted, and only 2% of all rivers in England and Wales have public access rights. The BCU is using the campaign not just to raise awareness of the access issues, but to try to bring about changes in the law. The campaign uses slogans such as "We have been given the Right To Roam, But not Permission To Paddle!"〔(【引用サイトリンク】 author=Rivers Access Campaign )〕 and "Access for All". Also, a series of informative posters and pamphlets have been produced using cartoon artwork by Andrew Quick.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 author=Rivers Access Campaign )〕 ==Access situation== *There are of inland river and canal in England and Wales with navigation rights. *There are over of inland rivers with no access. England and Wales are almost unique〔(【引用サイトリンク】 author=Rivers Access Campaign )〕 in the level of restriction upon their waterways and are considered two of the most difficult places in the world to gain access to rivers. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 grants a "Right to Roam" specifically to areas of open land comprising: *Mountain (land over 600 metres) *Moorland *Heath *Downland *Registered common land In England and Wales there is no blanket right of access to non-agricultural land as is sometimes mistakenly thought. But angling interests successfully lobbied for the exclusion of inland waterways from the act. Amongst other countries with virtually limitless public access rights to waterways is Scotland, where the Scottish Parliament passed the Land Reform (Scotland) Act in 2003, which grants access for both land and inland waterways to the public. The UK government has encouraged canoeists to seek negotiations and create access agreements for privately owned water with land owners throughout England and Wales. For over 50 years both the BCU and WCA have been working to seek these agreements for access, which has resulted in , a total 4% of all privately owned linear waterways in England and Wales being opened up with some form of public access agreement. The Welsh Canoeing Association estimate that there are around 300 rivers in Wales suitable for kayaking, 13 of which have any form of legal access agreement.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 author=Ashley Charlwood,Access Development Officer, WCA ) 〕 Most of these agreements permit access only on certain days of the year or for short sections of the river. The government has decided to pursue further agreements in 4 study areas, over a 2-year trial period. However, there is no guarantee that this trial will grant further access, with recent government studies showing that access agreements are unlikely to be able to provide the necessary resources needed for water sports. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rivers Access Campaign」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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