YOUR readers will, by now, be aware of the potentially massive controversy brewing over the possible privatisation of half of the country's Forestry Commission lands (in effect, the lands owned by the British public). I write on behalf of "Friends of the Forest" to declare our strongest opposition to even the slightest threat to our public woodlands, especially, of course, to the Forest of Dean.

It will not be generally known that Baroness Jan Royall, who has already taken up the cudgels against this outrageous threat of the Public Bodies Bill in the House of Lords, is the proud patron of our organisation which continues to campaign for designation of the Dean district as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). With Baroness Royall's aid, our group, together with our allies,?CPRE and the Gloucestershire branch of Friends of the Earth are currently in a dialogue with Natural England over this matter. Natural England was fairly recently formed to take over such designation issues from the now defunct Countryside Agency which, for years had been dragging its feet over AONB status for the Forest of Dean.

It seems obvious to Friends of the Forest that AONB status would make this looming threat far more difficult to achieve. We hope all local environmental groups will unite to nip this lunatic suggestion in the bud.

In these modern times the value of forests to the well-being of our planet, and hence all its inhabitants is increasingly understood by everyone except, apparently, our present government. Its worship of money and its desire to line the pockets of its favoured friends and supporters quite obviously come before integrity, the environment and the rights of the real owners of the nation's woodlands – the public who pay the salary of all Members of Parliament.

Our long-standing local MP, Mark Harper seems content that it should be sold off, and has yet to show the slightest interest in doing anything to protect this very precious area. Unbelievably, he seems, even now, not to know the intense love his constituents have for our woodlands. Well, he had better get a grip on this issue and prepare himself to fully represent the wishes of the majority of Forest of Dean people – and not the money-grabbing minority, most of whom will not be Foresters.

This is largely an ancient and royal forest. In many ways it is a unique area. If places such as this and the New Forest are not safe from insensitive and greedy government mismanagement, then nothing is sacrosanct.

We call upon all Foresters to unite over this matter, as we successfully did back in the 1990s when a previous government tried to sell off our woodlands. (Will they never learn?) Hopefully, each Parish and Town Council in this district will act immediately to oppose the very idea of our ancient natural recreation grounds falling into the hands of those who view this veritable jewel as nothing more than a money-making opportunity to be exploited. – Colin Smith, Chairman, Friends of the Forest.