Save Our Ancient Forests

[Spuddle]

Over 100,000 people have signed The Woodland Trust petition calling on the Government to Save England's Ancient Forests. I have signed the petition. If you want to help save our forests from government sell-off and privatisation you can do so here:
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/Pages/default.aspx


The following statement has just been issued by the Woodland Trust.

A government announcement today shows the first signs that our petition is working.

Existing rules allow the government to sell off up to 15% of the Forestry Commission's woodlands in England in each four year period.

Today the government announced that it is putting the 2011/12 sales on hold so that it can review them in the light of the response to its consultation about the future of the entire Forestry Commission estate.

We welcome this decision as a positive sign that the government is listening to our "Save England Ancient Forests" campaign. We have been particularly concerned that the sales have included ancient woodland planted with conifers with no guarantees that they will be restored to native broadleafed woodland. Last year we persuaded DEFRA minister Jim Paice to halt sales of these sites in 2010/11. Restoration of planted ancient woodland is the biggest opportunity for woodland conservation in a generation. We are pleased that the 2011/12 plans will now be considered as part of the consultation over the future of the Forestry Commission estate.

Thanks to your help 128,000 people have signed our petition in 2 weeks, calling for protection of ancient woodland and safeguarding of access. We are optimistic that today's announcement is a signal that government will address these issues in its overall plans.

So, if you haven't already done so, please encourage family and friends to sign the petition and add their voice to yours. Email your friends now

Thank you for your continued support,

Sue Holden
Chief Executive Woodland Trust

[jim]

Dear Spuddle,

Already signed the 38 degrees petition and written to my MP. (Fat chance of persuading him, but then something has to be done) Typical of the tribe that are in Parliament to sell off what belongs to the people,

Love and Peace
Jim

[boboff]

Don't get this.

They are talking about leasing the woods for commercial felling, just like the Forestry Commission are supposed to do, but being a public body it does it badly.

They are trees, crops, part of an eco system that benefits from Management.

What about a petition to stop wards being closed, stop library's shutting, stopping day care for mentally ill people, etc etc, no lets all bang on about some woods we have been walking in once about five years ago!

[jim]

Dear Boboff,

Yes, we do live in a managed landscape, and if we would like to keep Englands' green and pleasant, green and pleasant then we have to continue the management. However, commercial interest has first loyalty to profit for shareholders and will manage for the short term interest not for communal benefit. Closing libraries and cutting day care for the mentally ill comes from the same mind set as selling the woodlands, "There's no such thing as society, only the individual" as the unlamented St Margaret Hilda told us. These attitudes should be resisted wherever they are manifested. These are the same tribe who enclosed the free commons in their own economic interest. Bang on about every aspect of the pro- banker/sponsored by the City, bunch of medieval brigands who currently run our country and go for a walk in the woods more often than every five years,

Love and Peace
Jim

[bonniethomas06]

I have signed the petition and will be writing to my MP this week (I think he is really fed up of me!). I wish someone would organise a march in London, I would certainly go.

And forgive me, but I don't think it is a valid arguement that you should not fight one bad thing, just because there are lots of bad things going on Or even worse, moan about other people fighting one bad thing but then not fighting any of them yourself??

[boboff]

I wasn't moaning as such, but I was saying that the instant reaction of people to selling woodland is "up in arms", when really they are just commercial areas of land. Much of the ancient Oaks were planted in the years before they invented iron for making ships work, with 80 years to plan in these boys knew about long term.

You don't get people moaning about sellling any other type of commercial property, we do not own the "woods" What about the 45% of Scotland planted in trees, why? oh well they got a tax break on the costs in year one.

As for Jims sentiments, I agree 100% with you. Land owning people plaque me, but it's not a new thing, the house I live in was built in 1629 on common ground, by the Agent of the Duchy, 10 years later there are court papers in London "appealing" against the building. The Agent won, money won, the house is still here. I suppose come the revolution it will all change.

At the end of the day I am not fighting, I see the need to keep the countries books balanced, £120 million a day in interest on the overdraft is pointless in the medium term, we do need to repay the debts, but selling woods and cutting social services both serve to deliver this end. Your right to freedom of speech and to object, is a great right, which long may you continue to exercise. In the words of Mumford and Son, "if I had an enemy bigger than my Apathy, I would have won"