Latest news with #publicaccess
CTV News
3 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Doors Open Ottawa unveils new Trim Station
Ottawa Watch Crowds of people across Ottawa got a rare inside look at buildings in the city that are usually closed to the public. CTV's Josh Marano reports.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sarasota County can expand Indian Mound Park after buying adjacent hurricane damaged house
Sarasota County will spend about $1.3 million to purchase a small site next to Indian Mound Park in Englewood, as part of its Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program. The new lot would add 105 feet of bay frontage to the park. A county plan said the property could be used for public fishing, birding, launching of canoes and kayaks, and parking after the existing house on the site is demolished. The County Commission approved the purchase at its May 20 meeting. Indian Mound Park in Englewood is mainly used as a boat launch into Lemon Bay; the 0.68-acre property the county aims to purchase at 200 Winson Ave. is the first house to the park's north. The county first attempted to purchase the property in 2015 but couldn't agree on a price. However, after the house and 100-foot dock were damaged by the 2024 hurricanes, the property was again nominated for the parkland acquisition program and county officials were able to close the deal. The site costs the county $750,000; the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's office valued the land at $549,100 in 2024. Beginning in 2026, operation and maintenance costs will come from Sarasota County's Environmentally Sensitive Land Fund. Nicole Rissler, the county director of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, wrote in a memo that the land could enhance public water access in Englewood and expand Indian Mound Park. Christian Casale covers local government for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Email him at ccasale@ or christiancasale@ This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County to add 105 feet of bayfront to Indian Mound Park
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
DOGE Asks US Supreme Court to Block Access to Its Records
The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to halt a judge's order that would force it to answer questions and turn over documents about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency in a fight over public access to the office's records. The Justice Department is challenging a ruling by a Washington federal judge, who said US DOGE Service must comply with demands for information about its structure and operations, including making administrator Amy Gleason available to testify under oath at a deposition. A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit on May 14 denied the government's request to intervene.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Hope that Dartmoor case will lead to more rights for campers
Wealthy landowners Alexander and Diana Darwall have lost their Supreme Court case attempting to restrict wild camping on Dartmoor. The couple, who keep cattle on a 3,450-acre estate in the southern part of Dartmoor, had claimed some campers cause problems for livestock. The court upheld an earlier Court of Appeal decision, confirming the public's right to wild camp on the national park in Devon without landowner permission. The case revolved around interpreting the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 and specifically the definition of "open-air recreation". Campaigners are hailing the ruling as a significant victory and hope it will lead to expanded access rights for walkers and campers throughout the UK.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Wealthy landowners lose Supreme Court case to restrict wild camping on Dartmoor
A wealthy landowning couple have lost a Supreme Court case to restrict wild camping on Dartmoor - in the latest twist in the dispute over public access to the moor. The bitter dispute began when Alexander and Diana Darwall's lawyers argued that some campers were causing problems to livestock and the environment. The couple, who keep cattle on a 3,450-acre estate in the southern part of Dartmoor, sought and won a High Court case that restricted people's right to camp on the national park in Devon without landowner consent. But that ruling was overturned at the Court of Appeal a few months later - and on Wednesday, the pair lost their challenge against it at the Supreme Court. The high-profile case is seen as a test case for countryside access, with campaigners hopeful it will now mean greater access rights for walkers and campers across the country. South Devon Lib Dem MP Caroline Voaden told The Independent: 'I'm absolutely thrilled with this ruling. It is a vindication of something we've all known for a long time: that the stars are for everyone, and that access to nature is not a nice to have, but a fundamental necessity for a happy, healthy life. 'It's a shame this had to be tested yet again in the courtroom. Now this is over, I hope we can begin work to extend our right to wild camp beyond Dartmoor. In opposition, Labour spoke about extending the right to wild camp across the UK. I hope they will put those words into action and expand access rights for walkers and campers across the country.' The ruling largely focused on the wording in the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, that says 'the public shall have the right of access to the commons on foot and on horseback for the purpose of open-air recreation'. In written submissions, Timothy Morshead KC, for Mr and Mrs Darwall, had said the act only gives the public access on foot and horseback 'which naturally means walking and riding'. However, barristers for the Dartmoor National Park Authority, which opposed the move, said that the phrase 'on foot' means access should be pedestrian and not by means of a vehicle. The DNPA also disputed the concerns of damage caused by camping, describing the reported impact to land and vegetation as 'absurd'. The legal battle started in January 2023, when the Darwalls won their High Court case that ruled the law did not give people the right to pitch tents overnight without landowners' permission. However, just months later the Court of Appeal overturned this decision, finding the law gave people 'the right to rest or sleep on the Dartmoor Commons, whether by day or night and whether in a tent or otherwise' as long as byelaws are followed.
