Newcastle City Council plans to reduce the number of countryside rangers in the city, including Jesmond Dene, from eight to four are to be debated tomorrow (Wednesday 15th February).

Locals who fear the impact of these budget cuts on Jesmond Dene have begun an e-petition on the council website. “We think that this proposal would have a serious impact on the countryside and wildlife around Newcastle,” says campaign organiser Mick Cook

Photograph by Andrew Curtis under Creative Commons licence

. “There will also be a reduction in the number of events organised for members of the public, both adults and children.

With fewer countryside rangers and a reduction in the work done by groups of volunteers under the supervision of the rangers, the Newcastle parks are likely to enter a period of slow but inevitable decline, with inadequate management of their varied habitats and less positive management for its wildlife. There is also likely to be both an increase in littering and vandalism and a delay in dealing with these problems when they occur.”

Cook is asking concerned locals to take the time to read the petition, and if they agree with it, sign it by the end of today (Monday 14th February). The petition can be found here.