HUNDREDS OF thousands of acres of state-owned British forests are to be sold off by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in a bid to raise money, but the “jewels in the crown”, such as the Forest of Dean, Sherwood Forest and the New Forest are to be handed over to a new charity, British environment secretary Caroline Spelman has said.
The plan to auction lands owned by the Forestry Commission has created outrage in many parts of Britain, with local groups expressing fears that cherished recreation grounds will be locked up by new private owners, while others warn that companies could fell environmentally valuable forests for logging.
Local groups will be offered the opportunity to buy some of the forests but papers from the Department of the Environment reveal that even officials believe that less than 5,000 acres could be bought out in this way. Private companies could be given 150-year leases on commercial evergreen woodland, but public access would have to be maintained, said Ms Spelman.
However, campaigners do not believe the environment secretary, and point to the experience in Cumbria where one forest was sold last year. Public access is still allowed, but a car park necessary for the public to get to it has been locked up, making entry impossible for anyone living more than a few miles away.
Defending her decision, Ms Spelman said: “State control of forests dates back to the first World War, when needs were very different. There’s now no reason for the government to be in the business of timber production and forest management.”
Over 250,000 people have signed a petition organised by campaign group 38 Degrees in recent weeks, while people have held demonstrations in many of the forests threatened with sell-off. Greenpeace UK has demanded guarantees that a “complete right of access” would be maintained, if the sell-off cannot be blocked.
Last October, the British government announced that it would sell off 15 per cent of the forest estate held by the Forestry Commission – the maximum amount it could auction without a parliamentary vote – but yesterday’s decision, if approved by MPs, will see all of the remaining stock being sold over the next five years.