Consultation
11.A full public consultation was carried out and in addition to the Environment Committee and other statutory consultees, some 370 organisations/individuals were asked how they felt about the extension proposal. These included the Department’s statutory advisory body on nature conservation - the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside; the relevant environmental Non-Governmental Organisations including the RSPB, the Game Conservancy Trust, the Ulster Wildlife Trust and the National Trust; all district councils, organisations representing farmers and landowners, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and all licensed shooting clubs. In all 66 responses were received, the great majority favouring the proposed amendment.