The Woods

greenback

I have had an e mail asking me to sign a petition against the governments's plans to revive the sell off the woods plan.The government's forest panel is to publish it's report next week. There are more details on action@38degrees.org.uk Has anyone else heard of this?

RogerMainwood

Caroline Lucas has tabled an Early Day Motion on this...

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/267

[edit to add...] A bit more detail on what could be going on.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/06/government-uturn-forests

Also:-

The interim report from the panel was published at the end of last year.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/forestrypanel/files/Independent-Panel-on-Forestry-Progress-Report.pdf

The Panel’s chair, The Right Reverend James Jones Bishop of Liverpool,
said: “Although our Panel was born out of fierce debate over the future
of the public forest estate, what has become apparent through our work
so far is that we must look at the future of all woods and forests, not
just the one fifth managed by the Forestry Commission.”

BigRosie

yes I signed that same petition. Am totally disgusted if it's true that the sell off is still going ahead (or they're trying!) but just 'through a back door'. Eugh. What IS it with politicians?

RogerMainwood

The report has been published today:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/forestrypanel/files/Independent-Panel-on-Forestry-Final-Report1.pdf

We await to hear the Government's response to the recommendations, one of which is below:

Recommendation: The public forest management organisation should
be explicitly tasked, and incentivised, to get as much value as possible
from its assets, in order to invest even more in the public benefits
they deliver. This should include the ability to buy and sell land where
this serves those wider purposes. This should not be at the expense
of its core purpose of sustaining and enhancing the public value of
the estate. Any development project or land sale must fully justify
any environmental or social risk or cost by enabling more valuable
investments, for example by creating woodlands close to where people
live. Decisions on major projects and land sales should have stakeholder
consultation at their heart, and where judgements are finely balanced,
the Guardians (led by their mandate), should be involved.

adrian

"Ask me my three main priorities for government and I tell you economy, economy, and economy."
- The Rt. Hon. A. N. Other MP

Nothing will change until we vote all encumbants out and choose representatives who understand that value can take many different forms. :)

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