WOOD CUTS

Twelve rallies and walks went ahead in forests up and down the country on Sunday (20th) despite the embarrassing Con-dem u-turn on selling them all off. In Sussex, 130 rambling massive pitched up at Friston forest to hear a number of speakers from Keep Our Forests Public telling how we’re not out the woods yet.

The aim is still privatisation of the English Forestry Commission’s estates with voluntary NGO labour being brought in from the likes of the Woodland Trust who don’t have the right skills. By comparison the Forestry Commission now work supporting wildlife and forests with ecosystems very much in mind, different from the past when they were forced to plant row upon row of conifers.

The Con-dems new Independent Panel on forests represents landowning conservation NGOs and private landowning interests which stand to gain by ‘cherry-picking’ the Forestry Commission’s estates. “Not a single representative of the array of forest defence organisations or of the Forestry Commission’s trade unions is on the Panel,” said KOFP rep Dave Bangs adding, “The call has to go out - No sell-off, No funding cuts, No job cuts.”

http://saveourforests.co.uk