A WARNING that major cuts in government spending could impact on the future management of the woods has been given by Rich Daniels, chair of the Hands Off Our Forest group.

Speaking ahead of the impending arrival of the government's response to the Independent Panel report, Mr Daniels said he feared the chief issue could be funding.

The response is expected later this month and HOOF say they have detected a supportive response from all quarters.

However Mr Daniels warned : "The bottom line is the money. Despite the Forestry Commission and the Public Forest Estate providing outstanding value, anything with a cost attached is in serious jeopardy of not being taken forward. If there is a failure of government to safeguard our Forest and its management we may have to protest all over again!"

HOOF say they want to alert supporters that well they believe rounds one and two were won – signalled by the government's U-turn on the sale of the Forest and the Forestry Panel's positive report upholding the principles of public management and ownership – it was still necessary to win round three and to secure the future of the Forest of Dean in public hands for all time.

Concern remains over how the Forest's rights and customs will be protected and enshrined in legislation and charter and how the new management structure would be funded. It is estimated that £20m will be required annually to pay for the upkeep of the public forest estates.

HOOF members have spent the latter half of 2012 lobbying ministers, including the new Environment Secretary Owen Patterson, the Forestry minister David Heath, Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper as well as being joined by Defra and Forestry Commission research teams for site visits.

And while they believe that the indications are that the government will be supportive, HOOF warns: "We are not out of the woods yet!"