[Tagging] Animal trails

[Casper Van Battum]

I believe access=no would apply for this specific situation, in the sense that the organization mentioned doesn't want people walking on the trails. I'm guessing it's either protected land or private property these trails are on. Since the organization mentioned they didn't want to put up "no access" signs, it would be appropriate to map the paths as such.

However I'm with you on that this brings us no closer to a general solution for tagging animal paths, that applies even beyond this specific situation.

The big question is: what distinguishes an animal path from a human path? Animals use human paths, and in numerous cases humans use animal paths. It would be hard to define it. We generally follow the guidelines to tag highways according to their usage (see tracks vs roads for example). Currently highway=path  is defined as "generic path, multi-usage or unspecified usage" and animal paths do already fit that description. We could define animal paths as "generic path, used mainly by animals" but I suppose it should be a specific kind of path (something along the lines of highway=path+animal=yes) rather than a new type of highway. But again, is this enough of a distinction to merit its own tagging scheme?

Cheers, Casper

On 1 Dec 2020, 00:47, at 00:47, Martin Koppenhoefer <dieterdreist at gmail.com> wrote:
>Am Di., 1. Dez. 2020 um 00:39 Uhr schrieb Lukas Richert
><lrichert at posteo.net
>>:
>
>> I wouldn't tag this as foot=no or access=no. There are many trails in
>my
>> area that are clearly animal tracks and seldom used by people - but
>it is
>> allowed for people to walk on these and they are sometimes
>significant
>> shortcuts so allowing routing over them in some cases would be good.
>>
>
>+1
>
>After reading the comments to the diary post that the OP linked, I
>believe
>that they mostly do not apply to the situation here. People were mainly
>concerned about wildlife protection, and Belgian cows are not falling
>under
>my idea of "wildlife".
>
>
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