‘Save New Forest from budget deficit sell-off’ (From Daily Echo)
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Conservation group’s bid to stop New Forest management being privatised
7:00am Thursday 13th January 2011 in News
‘Save New Forest from budget deficit sell-off’
ONE of Britain’s oldest conservation groups has called for the New Forest to be spared from a massive sale of Forestry Commission land.
The 144-year-old New Forest Association (NFA) says decades of management expertise will be lost if the Forest is included in the sale.
The Forestry Commission manages 145 square miles of woods and heathland in the district, plus paths, cycle tracks and 134 rural car parks.
But many of its holdings across the UK could be privatised in a bid to raise millions to curb Britain’s budget deficit.
NFA chairman William Ziegler said: “I acknowledge that the country’s finances are in a mess and cuts are unavoidable, but the New Forest is a special case due to its unique conservation value and cultural heritage.
“These are qualities which, if lost, could not be reinstated once the funds start flowing again.”
Mr Ziegler said he was worried about the impact on commoners – villagers with the right to let their animals roam the Forest.
He said: “The delicate balance between commoning, conservation, recreation and commercial forestry is easily disturbed and it is vital that whatever management expertise has been gained over the years is retained for the benefit of the New Forest and the nation.
“To achieve this there is only one viable option – an adequately funded Forestry Commission.”
Mr Ziegler is the latest New Forest figure to call for the area to be made exempt from the proposed sell-off.
Graham Ferris, chairman of the Commoners’ Defence Association, has cited the Forestry Commission’s “unique role” in the management of the area. Official Verderer Oliver Crosthwaite- Eyre has described the Forest as a national treasure.
“The Forest needs specialist management that is free from the commercial demands and pressures that privatisation would bring,” said Mr Crosthwaite-Eyre.
Founded in 1919, the commission comes under the Department for Environ-ment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
A Defra spokesman said the department was preparing to launch a consultation exercise on the future of forestry land across the country.
He said no decisions would be taken until all the responses had been received and analysed.
Comments(7)
Forest Girl
says...
1:14pm Thu 13 Jan 11
what a stupid thing to say! You say you are from Nomansland as am i and you want to sell and burn it???? From that statement you must have lived in a town before coming to the New Forest...
The only thing wrong with the forest is the lack of work done within the forest e.g clearing the forest of dead wood, digging out the streams, and most of all the people who do let their animals go on the forest dont look after them at all! In the snow i put out food for the horses as there is lack of grass anyway and they are all skinny and look terrible, why the RSPCA havent been involved i dont know... I see so many injured animals and nothing is ever done even after reporting it, so if anything let go back to basics and sort out the real problem of the forest!!!!
lou666
says...
6:51pm Thu 13 Jan 11
lou666
says...
6:59pm Thu 13 Jan 11
in autumn 2009 the previous government undertook an extensive public consultation to establish if the public felt that the Forestry Commission should be managed under a different organisational structure. The report concluded that: -
The Forestry Commission has and continues to play an important and leading role in meeting future challenges such as climate change, biodiversity, access and recreation and sustaining the rural economy. The Forestry Commission is uniquely placed to provide this wide range of services more cost effectively than any suggested organisations. The public, community groups, private and charity organisations (i.e. The Big Society) clearly stated that it did not want the Forestry Commission to be reduced in size and passed piecemeal to the private sector.
There was a strong mandate for the Forestry Commission estate to be increased in size and a requirement to unlock forestry’s full potential in partnership with the private and third sector.
The conclusions from this consultation were very positive about the achievements and future role of the Forestry Commission.
Why are his government wasteing taxpayers money on another consultation and why have they buried the results of the previous governments consultations.
Torchie1
says...
7:08pm Thu 13 Jan 11
Forest Girl wrote:The Forestry Commission maintain the forest so the issues of concern to you should be brought to the attention of that body.
J.K
what a stupid thing to say! You say you are from Nomansland as am i and you want to sell and burn it???? From that statement you must have lived in a town before coming to the New Forest...
The only thing wrong with the forest is the lack of work done within the forest e.g clearing the forest of dead wood, digging out the streams, and most of all the people who do let their animals go on the forest dont look after them at all! In the snow i put out food for the horses as there is lack of grass anyway and they are all skinny and look terrible, why the RSPCA havent been involved i dont know... I see so many injured animals and nothing is ever done even after reporting it, so if anything let go back to basics and sort out the real problem of the forest!!!!
The animals are yours and it's your responsibility to look after them as a commoner. If you know of other commoners who don't look after their animals, isn't it your responsibility to report them to the Verderers? We always hear about this closed group who jealously guard their forest rights when a bit more interest should be taken of their forest responsibilities.
RogerN
says...
7:47pm Fri 14 Jan 11
"Mr Jim Paice MP: Yes, indeed. Part of our policy is clearly established: we wish to proceed with, to correctly use your word, very substantial disposal of public forest estate, which could go to the extent of all of it."
see page 6 of this http://www.parliamen
t.uk/documents/lords
-committees/eu-sub-c
om-d/forestry/ucEUD2
41110ev1.pdf
The Public Bodies Bill, currently going through Parliament, will give Ministers the right to make decisions about the Forestry Commission without being required to put these decisions before the House of Commons. In other words your local MP will be powerless to do anything, should a single Minister decide to sell off any FC land.
http://services.parl
iament.uk/bills/2010
-11/publicbodieshl.h
tml
The House of Lords report on the Public Bodies Bill says it grants "inappropriate powers" to Ministers.
http://www.parliamen
t.uk/business/news/2
010/11/delegated-pow
ers-committee-report
-/
http://lordsoftheblo
g.net/2010/11/05/pub
lic-bodies-bill/
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/law/afua-hirsc
h-law-blog/2010/nov/
09/lords-quangos
The proposed forest sell off is nothing to do with the national debt. It is a land grab by the very, very rich as selling woodland could tempt corporations and wealthy people to take advantage of tax sweeteners for forestry owners.
So the forests are going to be sold off to provide the mega wealthy with yet another avenue to explore when avoiding paying taxes.
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/environment/20
11/jan/13/english-fo
rests-lost-tax-reven
ues
Despite what you may be led to believe, the New Forest is NOT safe from being sold off to the private sector, which could include foreign companies & organisations.
Save your forests here
http://saveourforest
s.co.uk/
Rax
says...
12:52am Sat 15 Jan 11
****************
Re the article: Doesn't National Park status afford the NF any protection?
J.K. says...
8:58am Thu 13 Jan 11