The Government launched 'Consultation: Future of the public forest estate' on January 27th.
WOODLAND TRUST INITIAL REACTION TO THE FUTURE OF THE PUBLIC FOREST ESTATE IN ENGLAND
Sue Holden, chief executive at the Woodland Trust, said: "We are disappointed that there is no commitment to restore damaged ancient woods currently in public ownership. If these sites are sold, the current proposals cannot guarantee their restoration, one of the most significant contributions to wildlife conservation in a generation.
"Ancient woodland needs better protection than it currently has; as the equivalent of the UK’s rainforest it is unique, irreplaceable and our richest wildlife habitat. Whilst we note the Secretary of State’s proposition that safeguards for all woods will remain in place and “could be buttressed further”, our initial reading of the consultation leaves us unclear as to the Government’s proposals about how increased protection could be delivered.
"There are no specific questions asked about the overall effectiveness of existing protection measures. The main suggestion which Government is putting forward is the use of leases which will allow some degree of control and protection over public benefit in all types of forests. This is a proposal which we welcome, although we are disappointed that ancient woods are not treated as a category for special consideration in the categorisation of the estate.
"While we fully support the concept of community ownership, we don’t believe that the charitable sector can be the solution to future care of all of the publically owned heritage woodlands, as it will not have the resources to manage these for decades into the future without substantial and sustained government funding. We don’t believe the government has properly considered the feasibility of this option.
"We would certainly wish to work in partnership with government to look after the interests of ancient woods, perhaps even through management agreements, if there is no other way to secure their future, but subject to a wide range of considerations around funding for ongoing management, and the detailed terms of transfers.
"The paper goes further than anticipated in opening up the entire debate about the function of the Commission, and in attempting to remove the conflict of interest between regulation and management by contemplating the sale of the entire estate. This is extraordinarily bold and points to the process of reform, which will absorb huge amounts of Government and others’ time for years ahead.
"There is a great deal to digest and consider within the paper and our formal response will reflect this."
View the official documents
Why are we worried?
