Forest Update

Given that I have had so many messages from local residents about forests, I thought I should Blog to update readers.

I have urged the Government to look at more community ownership of woodlands. 

Yesterday, during the short Commons debate on Forests, I asked the Minister:

Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con): Will my right hon. Friend confirm that we definitely will not be pursuing the policies of the previous Government, such as selling 25,000 hectares of forest without any access granted? Will she also confirm that the thrust of Government policy will be to transfer forests to communities so that they can own them via co-operatives or other community bodies?

Mrs Spelman: Ministers have on numerous occasions given reassurances to the House that we would not proceed with those planned sales without better protection being in place. I am sure the independent panel will look at the genuine interest from community and local groups in being more involved in the management and ownership of their local forests. There are many examples of communities that have successfully provided a safe future for the woodlands and forests near where they live.
You can see this and more of the debate here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110217/debtext/110217-0002.htm#11021765001461
  
The government has listened on this issue, and is doing three things:
 
1) Removing the clauses from the Public Bodies Bill which would permit publicly owned forests to be transferred into different ownership.
 
2) Closing the consultation on the Future of the Public Forestry Estate. 

3) Setting up a panel of independent experts to consider how we can better protect our woodlands for the future as part of broader forestry policy.
 
We have all seen or read about the legacy of forest sales which took place under the previous government with inadequate protections which led to reduced access to our woodland. This will not be allowed to happen again.

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