Hi,
I hope you all have been following the debate re National Nature Reserve and Forest Commission Sell Off. Well if not, it is damn near done and dusted; its through Parliament and beyond the Lords 2nd Reading; it was not in either Tory or Liberal manifesto and NOT consulted on prior to legislation . Its been rammed through in a fashion that defies the spirit and conventions of our democracy.
38 Degrees deserve a great deal of credit for their petition, which while a bit inaccurate as least put up a bit of resistance, which has been totally lacking from the established nature conservation NGO's ie FoE, RSPB, WWF and Wildlife Trusts; with one notable exception well done Woodland trust. Where an earth have the others been ? Sitting quivering before the Tory Big Society ?
Not a peep re National Nature Reserves; not a petition not a sound from the entire nature conservation movement. These are very finest ecological sites.
As our beleagured ecology sinks below the pressure of industrialisation and the burden of a populous and extravagant humanity do NGO's have the strength to take the weight off the state's responsiibility ? When the FC costs only 10 million a year and the NNR's a drop in the ocean of the CAP state subsidies. In all honesty who is privatising what when the whole of UK agriculture receives European state subsidies to the tune of £3 billion; much of it directly into the pockets of the Tory Landowners that are providing the votes in the Commons and the Lords. Its a dogma driven shuffling of the chairs.
There is one last chance; influence the Liberals and Cross benchers; pick up a pen and write to the Lords; decry the Forest Sell OFF. How can you sell something like The Forest of Dean or the New Forest and put a PRIVATE sign on it. Its PUBLIC and owned by all of us; keep the PRIVATE signs OUT.
This campaign has been fought by a few individuals largely without the support of the highly financed organisations WWF, RSPB, WILDLIFE Trusts etc etc.
WHY IS THEIR SUCH SILENCE ON THIS ? WRITE TO THE LORDS NOW ! THEY HAVE EVERY LEGITIMATE RIGHT TO THROW THIS OUT. IT WAS NOT IN EITHER MANIFESTO. IT HAS BEEN RAMMED WITHOUT CONSULTATION THROUGH PARLIAMENT.
This is the stuff of dictators; be a cause and make arise the Lords, write and defend the principle that legislation is debated in elections from manifestos and then enacted after consultation.
THROW THE SELL OFF OUT.
Peter Plover
Let's not all take our eyes off the ball (which is possibly the Government's intention) but this sounds hopeful:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/16/forest-selloff-conservative-policy
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
I agree; I think also we need to know clearly where organisations in the "Wildlife Alliance" stand. I would refer you to this; his interventions are livening things up.
http://www.jonathonporritt.com/pages/
So it would appear. Today I'm proud to be British. Well done everybody.......
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/people-power-hailed-for-uturn-on-forests-selloff-2217731.html
Hi thereBrilliant news. I thought it was a harebrained idea in the first place, and how where the so called 'big wigs' supposed to get let off with this proposal in the first place. Everything is so money based it is unreal now. The Government money is being spent like water by the Government in all the wrong areas - lining their own pockets in one area too many for my liking.I hope this whole subject is flushed away for good, and never thought of in the future. We shall see!!!Regards
Kathy and Dave
I was so pleased to hear this on the radio last night, it was a fool proposition to begin with, and one that was never included in the manifesto. Let's hope it never rears it's head again, - somehow I don't think it will, they've been made to look pretty silly!
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Today's coverage on the BBC website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12488847
Many apologies for starting another thread on this. Dizzy me :(
Pipit
It truly is a great day; we now have to ensure that this never, ever happens to the FC estate or the National Nature Reserves again. This Victory particularly goes to the people of the Forest of Dean and HOOF who from the start have been unequivocal in the defence of their Forest and their ancient rights; well done them and thank God, the Wye Valley and so many other forests remain ours ! It was from the Forest of Dean at the ancient Speech House that the fight was taken; waking up paid and sleepy paid wildlife bureaucrats uncertain which way to turn on the way. Where do they stand I am still not quite sure ?
The debate needs to now move forward; it might be helpful if these forests and NNR's, on our coasts, were seen as "public commons" and given that status in law; I agree with the FC amenity sites, all FC land in National Parks and AoNB's, perhaps some areas of MoD land and of course the NNR's being managed under one unbrella.
I want to be sure that this can never happen again. Maybe people could apply for their forest to be in such an area if it were to be left out and then it all ring-fenced in law as common.
What a fuss,was never going to happen,did not make economic sense,just done to take attention away from lots of other things over last two weeks and it worked,what a laugh.Just look at all the bad news that has been ignored in that period.Politicians not as daft as people think.
So either a spectacular misjudgment, or a "stalking horse" plot to boost the Coalition's "we're listening" credentials. Maybe we'll never know.....
But it has sent the Coalition a clear message. Those who perhaps can't aspire to owning their own spreads (ie most of us) value having big places set aside for recreation, wildlife, and escape. Places they feel they have a stake in, where they can enjoy the outdoors without feeling that their presence isn't merely tolerated at the discretion of some grudging faceless landowner.
So I'm celebrating today......
JBNTS
Well Sooty in the Forest of Dean last week there were large landowners looking to offset more of his income against Inheritance Tax and complaining about the price of forest today; so i disagree; and My Lord how you have now changed your tune.
This was not what you were saying a month ago; I could dig it up if you wished; you were saying cuts had to be made; loyal Tory that you are.
I say this; that at the beginning of Jan on the 4th at the Speech House there was Baroness Royall and Jonathan Porrit and the foresters, the free miners and the common graziers; there were no paid bureaucrats from the Wildlife Alliance; they were all saying that ownership is not the issue, that management is key; and sitting on the fence. While management is important to wildlife buffs it is public ownership or a right of common in old parlance that is key to most people.
The RSPB Chief policy officer was talking of state run forest farms, covering himself both ways on the run of the tide ! So it was with the rest of the Wildlife Alliance which still has not managed to find a common position; I tried repeatedly through my contacts to the top in FoE to initiate a common position on public ownership but no one was having it; I have a letter from Woodland Trust stating two days ago "there is no Plan B" and that ownership is not the key issue; management is and they deal with any owner "no matter how difficult"; well that says something of their expectations.
I say that all the wildlife "politicians" judged the public mood wrong, as did the Tories (near catastrophically so for Caroline "Timber" Spelling), and it was a grass roots Labour campaign (first of all) coming out of the Forest of Dean that saved the forests for the people and also the National Nature Reserves.
For me the debate now moves to the NHS but with the forests, I wish to see them granted common status in law so that no Tory can ever again see them ideologically as part of "the state" that he/she has some right to dispose of over the public or common interest for private gain.