Jane Turner
Well-known member
Chris Bonnington was the BBC news this morning too
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Forest sell off petition (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jane Turner
- Start date
turkish van
Number 1 celebrity badger
The consultation is 64 pages long.
Statement, letter etc on defra website, released this morning.
Also the FC 'selection criteria for sales' document here. It seems to be missing a section on woodlands which are of 'higher quality', and no definition of what that means.
Of note:
"prioritizing for sale woods that are likely to incur significant net expenditure over the next five years" -- essential woodland management out the window?
"avoiding adverse impact on income streams (e.g. from timber revenue) required to meet Spending Review targets" -- guess the plantations are safe then?
The more I read, the more it seems hard to be upbeat? I feel it is going to take one hell of a public fuss to make the government backtrack on this....
Statement, letter etc on defra website, released this morning.
Also the FC 'selection criteria for sales' document here. It seems to be missing a section on woodlands which are of 'higher quality', and no definition of what that means.
Of note:
"prioritizing for sale woods that are likely to incur significant net expenditure over the next five years" -- essential woodland management out the window?
"avoiding adverse impact on income streams (e.g. from timber revenue) required to meet Spending Review targets" -- guess the plantations are safe then?
The more I read, the more it seems hard to be upbeat? I feel it is going to take one hell of a public fuss to make the government backtrack on this....
turkish van
Number 1 celebrity badger
turkish van said:
Answer my own question - I guess I was expecting something a little more extensive!
"Where woodlands are identified as being of “higher quality”, they will only be sold to preferred purchasers, or other purchasers who can demonstrate that they have access to sufficient expertise, knowledge and experience in woodland management and would be prepared to
enter a relevant English Woodland Grant Scheme to sustain/improve public benefits. Such purchasers would be public bodies, NGOs or established private woodland owners."
No mention of access to sufficient funds to carry out the woodland management - we'll see how much is made available in the woodland grant scheme...
Clive A
Well-known member
This government had better be prepared for lots of public fuss if you ask me, on more than just this issue.
turkish van
Number 1 celebrity badger
Do they care though? I'm surprised we haven't seen more Lib Dem resignations - you wonder what's going on in their minds.
Clive A
Well-known member
A few moments of power I guess.
MJB
Well-known member
On BBC News24, the government claimed that rights of access had always been in the forefront of their minds, but still seem to fail to realise that not just walkers (legitimately) use the woods!
On BBC Look East tonight, the reporter Andrew Sinclair had contacted all the MPs in the coverage of BBC Look East, and all had said that the sheer scale of the response in e-mails and letters had been totally unexpected, as had the passion of the complainants. It doesn't really come as a surprise that even MPs from essentially rural counties are totally out of touch with the reasonable wishes and views of ordinary people right across the political divide. They've been concentrating on dogma politics and scoring points off the previous government, which had been quite bad enough!
Any bets on a government spokesperson stating in the next few days that these views 'had always been in the forefront of their minds'?
There won't be more fuss, there will be MORE FUSS!:t:
MJB
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Bob Philpott
Well-known member
Have read this document, thank you. Surely the criteria for sale in this paper runs contrary to the ideas expressed in the discussion paper produced a day later.
baldingeagle
Well-known member
Singed the petition, e-mailed my MP and donated. We need the forests so we must campaign hard against this sell off.
julieredwing
Well-known member
signed - thank you
I think there are going to be many crazy decisions in a similar vein to this over the coming years due to governmental tightening of belts.
That and the overall greed of man will always drive somebody out there to be thinking of increasing the size of his purse. That is what is evident up here in Shetland with plans having been passed to build 120+ giant wind turbines right across the spine of the islands! And with other company's just queueing up to do the same!
I suppose what annoys me the most about all of these type of things is this - what is so wrong with allowing wild open spaces to stay that way?
Good luck,
Julie
I think there are going to be many crazy decisions in a similar vein to this over the coming years due to governmental tightening of belts.
That and the overall greed of man will always drive somebody out there to be thinking of increasing the size of his purse. That is what is evident up here in Shetland with plans having been passed to build 120+ giant wind turbines right across the spine of the islands! And with other company's just queueing up to do the same!
I suppose what annoys me the most about all of these type of things is this - what is so wrong with allowing wild open spaces to stay that way?
Good luck,
Julie
geoffw1946
Well-known member
Had a quick look at the government consultation document and on the whole it sounds a good idea. I would rather see the wildlife trusts,woodland trust and the RSPB owning the woodlands than the government.
I have long felt that the National Nature Reserves could be much better if they were run by the RSPB etc. I hope the government pass them on as well.
I have long felt that the National Nature Reserves could be much better if they were run by the RSPB etc. I hope the government pass them on as well.
StuartReeves
Local rarity
bitterntwisted
Graham Howard Shortt
But those NGOs cannot afford to buy them. The Woodland Trust do not back the proposals because they simply cannot afford to buy the forests concerned.
The Forestry Commission does an outstanding job. A greater proportion of the SSSIs that it manages are in improving condition than are those run by any other organisation. And it manages access and potential user conflicts outstandingly well, particularly for mountain bikers etc.
The government's reasons for this are two-fold. First, it is an ideological commitment to a smaller state and greater privatisation. Second, it is the political support and funding, and the cushy, lucrative, non-executive directorships which the commercial and private investors will return the favour with. The impact on the deficit is less than negligible.
These forests are not the government's to sell. They belong to us, and a whopping 30 pence per person per year in taxation funds their upkeep.
When is the march?
Graham
MJB
Well-known member
Received a letter this morning from my Labour MP informing me he is opposed to the "logger's charter".He is also signing Green Party member Caroline Lucas's Early Day Motion which strongly opposes plans to sell off Forest Commision land.
I think it is particularly important for those with ConDem representatives to contact their MP and let them know they HAVE NO MANDATE for this sell off,especially so in the case of the Liberal hypocrites as they opposed the sell of in Scotland inthe past.
I think it is particularly important for those with ConDem representatives to contact their MP and let them know they HAVE NO MANDATE for this sell off,especially so in the case of the Liberal hypocrites as they opposed the sell of in Scotland inthe past.
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geoffw1946
Well-known member
News on RSPB website 27/1/11.:- The RSPB has cautiously welcomed the news that protecting and enhancing wildlife is to be the key test for how the government plan to dispose of Englands public forest estate.
One of the problems with the government run forests is that they haven't been doing a very good job of it.
The Wyre Forest in the west midlands used to be excellent for Pied Flycatchers,Redstarts and Wood Warblers but now they are practically extinct there. To me,I would say that the trees need thinning out to let more light in. I'm sure the RSPB would soon solve the problem what ever it is.
One of the problems with the government run forests is that they haven't been doing a very good job of it.
The Wyre Forest in the west midlands used to be excellent for Pied Flycatchers,Redstarts and Wood Warblers but now they are practically extinct there. To me,I would say that the trees need thinning out to let more light in. I'm sure the RSPB would soon solve the problem what ever it is.
