I READ with gratitude the letter you published from Mr Alan Robertson dealing with local background to the 1981 Act concerning forestry. I was enlighten and informed by a well constructed resume of complicated facts and arguments and I am grateful to Mr.Robertson.

 I have seen the piece printed in your latest edition from Mr. Mark Harper which deals with matters in a manner which seem to ignore the 1981 Act.

Who indeed could buy part of or the whole of the Forest bearing in mind the Act and why should they pay money for something that cannot sell? Who better that the Verderers and the Forestry Commission to manage it?

How can the Government be disadvantaged  by continuing to hold the freehold? What is the benefit to the Government  for the freehold to be vested in another body?  How would the new body manage to defray the administration costs for the work done by the Forestry Commission or any other body appointed in its stead?

The workings of the Forest are not broken, it would be folly to try to mend them. In 1981 Mr Paul Marland in welcoming the amendment to the 1981 Act felt that he had saved the Forest from an extreme left wing government and that by  the amended Act the Forest had been protected from future government's greed.

I am alarmed by phrases in Mr Harper's article "everything that people value about the Forest of Dean is protect­ed..." "What the Government wants is to open up to exciting opportunity for community ownership of forests" "Further, any proposed developments would be subject to the Town and Country Planning  process..."

Changing what is working, ignoring the Verderers and all existing organisations for what purpose? Mr Harper's answer "shift the balance of power from 'Big Government' to 'Big Society' by giving individuals, businesses civil society organisations and local authorities a bigger role."

 I'm all for Mr Marland and not Mr Harper. I'm all for the Verderers and the senior master with the Forestry Commission than individuals and businesses and shareholders. I am also one who looks at politicians with a jaundiced eye. Add that to the fact that I am an incomer to the Forest you will agree, I'm sure that this forms a subject for a analytic argument from  someone like your goodself (you at least could command the space that you wanted!)

– John Ing