IN October 2010 Dean Forest Voice heard about the reckless government plan to sell off our forests which led to Hands Off Our Forest to keep our woodlands in public ownership.

The government has now put forward new plans to manage the future of the public forest estate, (PFE) including our Forest of Dean.

Dean Forest Voice believes the new proposals for the PFE are not acceptable. Again this government appears to want to exploit and sell off pockets of our public woodland and waste, but this time through ministerial and quangocratic stealth.

Defra is proposing a board of management holding virtually all the power over the public forest estate. It will mean a board with all the power completely in the power of Ministers/Defra officials with a chair appointed by the Secretary of State and board members through the public appointments process – which to all intents and purposes means by Defra officials.

A Charter entrusts land ownership and mineral rights with powers to sell, exchange or lease parcels of public woodland to the board. It is charged with paying dividends to HM Treasury and maximise returns to the shareholders and can act like a Forest Development Agency.

In the present government proposals the Guardians are powerless to override or manage the board. We have witnessed the result when government agencies, at cost to the public purse, are encouraged to be entrepreneurial with our assets.

Dean Forest Voice recognises that our MP and local councillors and managers should be protecting our woodlands and wildlife and our communities and people. They have no other function.

Dean Forest Voice is not aligned to any political party. But, again the Forest is seriously threatened and with this prospect for the Forest of Dean our public servants and our government are ignoring what Forest people want – a secure and publicly-owned Forest of Dean as part of our national inheritance.

What is planned for the public forest estate will be regarded as new enclosure of our commonly- owned public Forest assets parceled up and gifted at public cost into private ownership.

– Phil Saunders, Dean Forest Voice.