AS a newcomer to the Forest I have been keeping very quiet about the situation with the boar, but recent communications in the local press mean I can do this no longer.

Any real consideration of the future of the boar population must be done from an ecological perspective and must include all other aspects of the impact the boar have on the Forest and the community who live and work in it.

I would, therefore suggest the convening of a 'Boar Forum' which would include representatives of all those with an interest in the boar and which should either be Chaired by the Forest Authority or the District Council. This forum can then set about looking at all the aspects of this issue (which is very complex) and from the data collected a management plan can be drawn up which would, one hopes, have the backing of all those involved in the forum.

I realise that this would not be a quick fix to a problem which is causing real distress to some people, but the boar population needs to be managed properly and all those issues which would have been considered if this had been a controlled reintroduction must be examined now. I could list many of them, such as carrying capacity of the Forest, ecological impact of boar activity, effect on other wildlife, population growth and fecundity, impact on Forest users and those who live in Forest villages, plus what management solutions are in place in other parts of Europe with a wild boar population. The forum could also consider the genetics of the boar in the Forest and if they are genuine wild boar as this could impact on their behaviour. The list is extensive but it seems to me that the problems (or perceived problems) of the boar population in the Forest have grown in the three years we have lived here, and perhaps the New Year is a time to have a new start to tackling this issue.

Nina Joyner-Summerfield

Lydney