Natural England has been seeking 400 voluntary redundancies and early retirements amongst its staff - and has had, in round terms, about 300 offers. So it is looking for another 100 non-voluntary job cuts.
This is from a staff of about 2400. And the next few years will see another 400 jobs go - the consequences of c30% cuts in money from government.
No-one has suggested chopping down 30% of England's forests - it's just not on the cards.
Are the cuts at NE just dead wood? - I don't think so, and anyway, dead wood is valuable ecologically.
A love of the natural world demonstrates that a person is a cultured inhabitant of planet Earth.
Think birds much prefer people keep out.