There has been much hot air generated in recent weeks – particularly in the meeja – in relation to the government’s plans to sell-off many English woodlands and forests to private investors.
The major bone of contention seems to be the potential denial of access to the general public should the land fall under the ownership of an uncooperative landowner.
The importance of the woodlands for wildlife gets at mention, but only as an aside. It has been this aspect of the reporting that highlights how superficial much of our broadcast journalism is.
Little mention has been made of the quality of the ‘endangered habitats’, many of which are awful non-native conifer plantations that do a great disservice to many of our native woodland species such as Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Marsh Tits and Hawfinch.
Rather than being a threat, it is a great opportunity for conservation bodies and wealthy private individuals to buy up the woodlands, cleanse them of non-native species and then leave them to their own devices.
Until later.
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Few conservation bodies will have the money to buy these woodlands. Whatever safeguards are put in place will be gradually chipped away and their tax status means that the forests will most likely be bought by undesirable profiteers. Have you not noticed how new commercial forests contain a much greater diversity of tree species these days, including native deciduous types? European/Japanese larch, whilst not native, are becoming much commoner also and these are a benefit to many birds as well as red squirrels (where they still occur). I honestly don't know where you get your ideas from. Thatcher tried to sell OUR forests off in the 80s but gave up in the face of overwhelming opposition. Likewise John Major in the 90s and now it's the turn of new boy wet-behind-the-ears Cameron! When will these people ever learn?
ReplyDeleteI have to admitt the thought of wealthy land owners buying up our forests, fills me with dred! Is it not wealthy land owners that own a great deal of British moorland that should support huge numbers of breeding raptors including the Hen Harrier, which is heavily persecuted by their 'men' in the name of 'gentlemens' sports. What would the future hold for are increasing Goshawk, Pine Martin, and Polecat populations for example, when these wealthy few buy up our forests. The presence of legal footpaths would not stop the persecution of predators; just as it doesnt in our uplands. The obvious flaws of the FC should be addresed, yet this does not warant the wholesale sell off of our woodland for the benefit of private capital. No offence meant, Kind regards.
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