THE way in which the Forest is being managed risks long-term changes to its character, it has been claimed. 

A public meeting is being held in Cinderford on Monday (November 13) to form a group to put pressure on the Forestry Commission over the management of the Forest. 

Cinderford district and town councillors Max Coborn and Graham Morgan say the ‘continuous cover’ method of felling trees, along with what they claim is a lack of re-planting is beginning to make large areas of the Forest look ‘sparse’. 

The Forestry Commission says it works closely with the local community and the woodland is managed to produce a sustainable level of timber production.

The councillors also claim that the use

of large machinery and smaller logs and bran­ches being left scattered on the Forest floor is making the area look ‘untidy’. 

Cllr Coborn, who represents Cinderford West on the district council, said: “The trouble is they have this continuous cover policy which means that in a stand of trees they will dot every other one and will take trees within trees.”

“I’m 67 and I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never seen so much wood going out, it’s unprecedented.   

“What is this place going to look like in 10 years’ time? 

“Something has got to change, people are noticing – it’s all over the Forest and nothing is being replanted.”

Fellow Labour district councillor Max Coborn (Cinderford East) claim­ed the Forestry Commission was not com-

municating with local councils and other organisations. 

He said: “They seem to be clearing it from the middle where nobody can see it and leaving the edge of the Forest – but basically they are ripping the heart out of it. It’s pillage. 

“They are using methods that are not sympathetic. You’ve got these huge machines which are churning up the land. 

“All it would take would be to have someone coming behind to level it.” 

Cllr Coborn also claimed that operations deep in the Forest were forcing animals such as deer and boar to the edges where they were more likely to come into conflict with people.

He said: “The other day I nearly ran over a muntjack (deer)  – three or four years ago you’d never see a muntjack because they are really secretive, now you see them regularly because they are being forced out.   

“All these animals are being driven out to the side of the forest and that’s why there will be more accidents.” 

He also claimed that logs and branches that would previously have been taken by local people to sell as wood blocks were being left strewn on the forest floor. 

“The Forest boys who would have taken them for blocks can’t get the contracts now. It used to keep it tidy but all this stuff is just being left now.”

The public meeting will be at the White Hart pub in St White’s Road, Cinderford starting at 7pm on Monday. 

A spokeswoman for the Forestry Commission said there were two main ways in which the community was consulted.

A spokeswoman for the Forestry Commission said: “The management of the Forest of Dean is consulted upon in two main ways. 

“Firstly each area of the Forest is covered by a Forest Plan which is approved for 10-years.

“The renewal of these plans is subject to public consultation, this has been made easier in recent years with a new online consultation platform on the Forestry Commission’s website. 

“These plans are reviewed every five years and are available to anyone who wishes to view them.

The Forest Plans are an integral part of our independent certification against the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme standards which underpins our certification for the international Forest Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification standards.  “Secondly we hold two Forest forums each year for local councillors and other stakeholders to discuss facets of our work in the Forest, these are always well attended, and in recent years have focused on subjects such as wild boar, potential use of Beavers and indeed timber harvesting and tree diseases.  

“The Forestry Commission liaise closely with local parish councils on when major forest operations will take place and notifications of operations often feature in local parish council newsletters as well as on-site temporary signage.   

“The woodland is managed to produce a sustainable level of timber production through both thinning and clear-felling. 

“Annual production levels have remained fairly constant over the last 15-years, but is steadily increasing. 

“This is largely because considerable areas of the forest were cut down in the 1940s and subsequently re-planted with conifer crops that are now reaching maturity.   

“It is therefore inevitable that the volume of wood harvested will increase over the next 10 to 15-years, however this production rise is being ‘smoothed’ with areas of otherwise mature stands being retained longer to achieve this. 

“The incidence of tree diseases – requiring premature clearance and/or very heavy thinning and the restoration of open habitats for ecological purposes may mean that there is an appearance of increased felling in some localities in some years, but in the case of felling for tree disease, this is compensated by delaying other planned felling operations.”

•There is a chance to find out more about ‘conservation grazing’ at an event in Cinderford on Sunday (November 12).

The Forestry Commission and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust will talk about its benefits at a session at Forest High School at 2pm

It will be followed by a guided walk around Edgehills Nature Reserve to see how works in practice.

Over the next five years, the Foresters’ Forest programme aims to conserve and enhance wildlife by creating areas of open habits, especially heathland, and maintain it through grazing livestock.