ANTI sell-off group Hands Off Our Forest has issued a strong warning that thousands of the Dean's people will be ready to rise in renewed protest if the Government again attempts to dispose of any public woodland.

An extensive survey carried out by national groups Our Forests and 38 Degrees found that almost 90 per cent of those questioned are prepared to protest once again, if necessary, to ensure our forests remain in public ownership.

HOOF chairman, freeminer Rich Daniels, said: "It would seem political suicide to do so, but the evidence on record from Parliament is that the Government could put significant areas of public woods and forests back on the market.

"It would be unwise for the Government to think that the sale of any significant part of our public Forests and woods would pass without reigniting the flames of protest in the hearts of people and forest communities across England.

"The prospect of any our public woods and forests being threatened again after we have fought so hard to protect them will be met with even more determined campaigning."

HOOF and Our Forests are calling for new legislation to protect public woodland from sell-off in perpetuity.

On the eve of today's (Wednesday) publication of the final advisory report on the future of forests by the Government-appointed Independent Panel for Forestry, HOOF and forest campaign groups from across England agreed on a joint statement.

The declaration, signed by 15 grassoots campaign  groups from Suffolk to Cumbria and sent to 170 MPs in forest constituencies, states: "We believe that public ownership of the Public Forest Estate must be secured, through new legislation.

"The rich cultural, historical and natural diversity of our forests and woods, and full access to them, is best protected under the stewardship of the Forestry Commission, fully resourced to manage and expand our multi-purpose public forest estate now and in the future."

Our Forests has also launched a poster campaign, endorsed by HOOF.

Posters can be downloaded from the HOOF website http://www.handsoffourforest.org">www.handsoffourforest.org.

On Monday Rich Daniels and others met the new Forestry Minister, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, in Westminster for a discussion.

HOOF also recently met Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper, and pressed him to get an assurance from the Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman that she would not proceed with a sale of 15 per cent of public woods (or 40,000 hectares) immediately after the report is published, as her minister Jim Paice previously indicated in Parliament. HOOF fears that outlying woods outside the Statutory Dean Forest, could be among the 15 per cent earmarked for sale.