Forestry sales programme under review
Friday 11th February 2011
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today (Fri 11 Feb 2011) made the following statement:
As in previous years, the selection criteria for land in the Forestry Commission England’s forthcoming assets sales programme were published on 27 January. In light of the Government commitment to increase protection for access and public benefit in our woodlands, the criteria for these sales will be reviewed so that protections are significantly strengthened following the inadequate measures that were applied to sales under the previous administration. Pending this review, no individual woodland site will be put on the market.
The recovery of nature should be the starting point in considering the future forest estate.
Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“This freeze on sales to give more time to talk is good news. The Wildlife Trusts were extremely worried about the wildlife implications of these immediate sales. Ever since the election The Wildlife Trusts have been calling on the Government to give more time to consider the future of the public estate. We do this in the context of the Lawton Review which set out the country’s massive challenge to restore ecological networks if wildlife is to have a future. Decisions about the public estate, not least that managed by the Forestry Commission – but also that managed by the Ministry of Defence, Local Authorities and Natural England – is a direct way that the Government can signal its commitment to nature’s recovery.
“We are at a turning point. Nature conservation is changing as we know it and so is the role of the state. The role of the state in nature conservation was first set out in 1949. A new Act is required soon to take us forward, and the Natural Environment White Paper is a precursor to this. The role of state-owned land in delivering ecological restoration should be a key consideration in this White Paper. The recovery of nature should be the starting point in considering the future forest estate. We urge the Government to hold off from selling or making other long-term commitments over its land whilst the White Paper is produced and the debate carried forward.
Talking of the 40,000 hectares themselves, Hilborne said that “These sales were not framed in a way that would help a Wildlife Trust to create A Living Landscape. Much more security is needed to ensure that critical Local Wildlife Sites and connector points in the landscape are secured for people into the future. We want to see our wonderful woodlands safeguarded, and conifer plantations restored to heath, bog or ancient wood. The market would not have provided for this and nor would a deadline of 28 days for fundraising.”
Story by RSWT