【明報專訊】DEVELOPING the fringe areas of country parks is one of the most sensitive issues in the big debate on land supply. Different interests and ideological differences are reflected in the big debate. Behind the development of the fringes of country parks is the conflict between idealism and reality. Given the beautiful landscapes and rich biological diversity of the country parks, it would be ideal to have more and more of them. However, due to the serious shortage of land, society has to think about how to strike a balance between ideals and reality. It is difficult to have an abstract discussion on whether the fringes of the country parks and the Green Belt (GB) sites should be developed, as the answer depends on the specific selected sites. However, from a realistic point of view, using some of the fringe areas of low ecological value to build public housing can indeed be considered. The key is to ensure that the development will not bring about indiscriminate felling of trees causing serious damage to the ecology.