Local woods for sale

[bagsofbats]

I've name changed because I am affected by this at work but limited to what I can say.

This is not media hype, it is happening and has hardly been discussed in the public domain.

I would like to temper some coments I have heard by saying the ancient woodlands will not be felled but they may not be looked after as well as they are now.

independant article

more info here

I'd just like to raise the issue to make people more aware of what is happening.

Clearly the campaign to keep this quiet is very effective - your independent link doeasn't work!!

the link

sorry more direct link

Thanks Dueling, clearly not very good at this

bagsofbats, I started a thread on the flogging off of the forests on AIBU this morning. I'll try to add the link to it

Dunnit. What the hell is this government doing to this country? We are trying to give the children in school a legacy of appreciation of local woods and the natural envirnment through Forest School - now it's possible that the woods may not even be accessible when they're older.

Makes me want to ... cry? go and shake some sense into them?

Feel really distressed about this.

Woods have to be managed, of course, but if the government can't afford to do it (which I don't believe for a minute) they should let people who care about the woods look after them - they don't need to sell them. How dare they? The woods aren't theirs to sell - they belong to all of us.

The minute huge multinationals, developers, speculators and profiteers move in, that's our access restricted, trees cut down, holiday villages and theme parks spring up, traffic increases and we have to pay to take the dog for a walk. At the very least. Ten years down the line the trees will have gone and there'll be yet another enormous Tesco, surrounded by a car park.

If Cameron is serious about the Big Society then here's an opportunity for him to prove it: Pay local people to be wardens and manage the woods. Help rural economies and protect the forests at the same time. Sorted.

Thanks for the links, Bagsofbats and Duelling Fanjo.

a link to a facebook page which explains in good detail what is going on

if anyone is keen to find out more

it explains that the public bodies bill which is being passed to enable the sell off will also enable drastic changes to other public bodies without consultation.

public forestry consultation

have your say

The consultation document is long-winded and wooly, and is definitely skewed. I thought 'government' was supposed to be all of us? Is this not what a democracy is?
I'm a mountain biker, and use the forests, both on purpose-built trails and also natural trails. My four year old has been raised going to these forests on her bike and walking. Mountain bikers are not included in the access agreements being proposed. What future for our children? Jonie Mitchell's 'chop down all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum, and charge everyone a dollar and a half just to see 'em!!' Please try to respond to the consultation, and sign the petition! :(

Why don't you campaign to have all arable land returned to the nation?.... All the grazing as well, perhaps? I'm afraid I don't see why this is a disaster. Vast amounts of the countryside are commercially managed environments with rights of way successfully protected for tourists, ramblers, cyclists, people on horseback. The National Parks aren't fenced and left to the elements... they're worked... hard! Why are the forests a special case?

Great article Bagofbats.

Chili I live next to a National Park they are completely different.I'd say for the younger generation forests are far more accessible and generate an awful lot more exercise.

Our NP is beautiful but it's wild and we've had to wait a while for our dc to get the most out of it.

Our dc have used our local forest weekly since they were first born. It's so easy to use.It has a variety of stunning trails,huge cheap car park,pump tracks,an art gallery,fantastic cafe,bike hire,play area,a play trail etc,etc. All of this would be dismantled by a private company and legally they can ban bike riding.

Our forest is used by most families in the area and is truely loved. It's accessible for all sections of society as bar the cheap car park it's free. It's constantly evolving.The exercise,health and well being our forest generates is priceless to be frank. We need free activities like this at the moment during these shite times. Not all of us can afford to jump on a plane and fly to Barbados to cheer ourselves up.

There is nowhere else that kids can go on a 2 hour bike road safely in a green space(and we live in Devon,hate to think what impact loosing a local forest in less rural areas would have for young families). Kids need more exercise and they need the outdoors.We already have these priceless free resources which encourage both outdoor play and exercise why risk loosing them? I worry our local NP would suffer as older bike riders would use this more at risk of damaging countryside not suited for mountain biking.

This gov has consistently lied to Joe Public, you just can't trust them. They'll promise the world then when they've got control god only knows what they'll do and it'll be too late,there will be buggar all we can do. This issue isn't the same as budgets,numbers can be recrunched when a new gov comes to power.Once we've lost ownership of forests that's it for ever,there will be no going back.

One other thing the article didn't mention the grants new owners can apply for making the financial gain of selling these forests rather futile.

chil1234 Forestry Commission woodlands are worked, alot of the secondary (plantation) woodland puts money back into the treasury (60% of home grown timber comes from the 18% of English woodlands owned by the FC). 100% of the FC woods are sustainably managed, their Sites of Special Scientific interests are in good condition and their ancient monuments are well cared for.

The recreation takes place whilst all the above is going on.

I don't believe this will be the case if the woods are in private ownership and the tax breaks are infuriating.

I'm off to do the consultation now, I expect they will make it as difficult as possible for folk to make their feelings heard.

The consultation is awful! but please have a shot at it what ever your opinions are.

I'm off to bang my head against a wall, the resulting loss of conciousness will at least stop me being so fucking cross about all of this.

bookmarking my spot to remind me to fill out the consultation tomorrow.

Have looked at the consultation but not filled it out yet - it looks awful and asks only how we want the forests sold off and not not whether we want them sold off....

Probably because the government are aware of the recent YouGov poll showing 84% of people agree with the principle the forests should stay in public ownership!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12257835

please email or write to your MP

They are taking a vote on Wednesday on whether to remove the Forestry Commission (and therefore the public forest estate) from the Public Bodies Bill.

There are also sample letters on saveourforests.co.uk

Thanks

I'm trying to do it now, and am hoping just to put 'should be retained in public ownership' in all of the boxes, but they make it really difficult!

Aha. You don't need to tick the options if you don't agree with them - you can just comment in the box and then move on to the next page. Do you think this wiould mean the response isn't counted? It's much easier to put what you believe that way.