I wrote to govt departments (Lands?) to support proposal for Po Toi Country Park; received this reply:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I refer to your recent e-mail to this Department concerning Po Toi.
Please be advised that whether an area is suitable for designation as a country park should be assessed against the established principles and criteria, which include conservation value, landscape and aesthetic value, recreation potential, size, proximity to existing country parks, land status and existing land use. Views of the Country and Marine Parks Board (the Board) on the assessment should also be sought.
Po Toi was first identified to have potential for country park designation by the Planning Department in 1993. This Department commissioned a study in 1999 which concluded that Po Toi would be suitable for country park designation. The study was also endorsed by the Board in 2000. Due to the priority of the various designation proposals, the designation of Po Toi as a country park has yet to be initiated. Nevertheless, we have conducted various biodiversity surveys on Po Toi during the past decade, and confirm the ecological value of the Island.
This Department would take the views and comments from members of the public, the latest development and planning of Po Toi, as well as the resource availability to consider the priority of the proposal to designate Po Toi as a country park. At present, there is no definite plan to designate Po Toi as a new country park.
Thank you for your care towards countryside conservation.
Regards,
K. L. YIP
Country Parks Officer
Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department
先生／女士：
日前寄交本署的電子郵件已收到，得悉你對蒲台表達的關注。
當局評估某幅土地是否適宜指定為郊野公園，是以一套既定的原則和準則作依據，其中包括該地的保育價值、景觀和美觀價值、康樂發展潛力、面積、與現有郊野公園是否接近、土地類別，以及現有的土地用途。此外，當局亦須徵詢郊野公園及海岸公園委員會(“委員會”)的意見。
一九九三年，規劃署認為蒲台具潛質成為郊野公園。本署在一九九九年委託進行的一項研究顯示，蒲台適合指定為郊野公園，而委員會亦於二ＯＯＯ年贊同該項研究所得的意見。由於各項有關指定郊野公園的建議需要按優先次序推行，指定蒲台為郊野公園的程序尚未啟動。儘管如此，在過去十年，本署已對蒲台進行了多項生物多樣性調查，並已確認蒲台的生態價值。
至於把蒲台指定為郊野公園的建議，本署在審議其優先次序時，會考慮市民的意見、蒲台的最新發展和規劃以及可動用的資源。目前未有把蒲台指定為新郊野公園的明確計劃。
感謝你對郊野保育的關注。
漁農自然護理署署長
(葉國樑 代行)