I ?WRITE to express my delight concerning my recent experience with the Forestry Commission.

You see I have been fortunate enough to have accompanied Forest Ranger, Neil Sollis, on an organised trip into the forest to watch the elusive nocturnal bird – the nightjar.

The trip was, to say the least, positively enthralling and the ranger nothing less than a true gentleman. Extremely friendly and approachable, his deep and intimate understanding of the forest and its natural history was inspiring, and has increased greatly my own appreciation of this wonderful habitat. Well done Mr Sollis and the Forestry Commission!

However it is a great shame that I am forced to end this letter on a down note. I must express my deep concern regarding the Forestry Commission's plans to reduce the number of rangers in the Forest of Dean, from three to two.

This particularly concerns me when considering the wild boar population. The rangers are currently solely responsible for the control in population numbers of this tenacious species.

The rangers' expert level of markmanship, coupled with their exemplary safety record, have, in my opinion, safeguarded the public who use and enjoy the Forest and it's many walking opportunities.

My fear is, with one less highly trained member of staff on the ground to combat these potentially dangerous and destructive large mammals, it is only a matter of time before an innocent rambler is mauled, severely injured or even worse.

I would implore the Forestry Commission to reconsider the staff reduction policy, to ensure the wellbeing of such a rich and biodiverse habitat and all who enjoy, visit or live within it.

–Wesley Scott Sparkes, Tonyrefail.