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I admire FE staff – so much so that I wish they had more to do with delivering the things that I care about; a better environment, more wildlife, ecosystem services and all that stuff. I think that currently FE has too muddled a remit – growing trees and making money and delivering wider social benefits. It’s quite a big stretch and quite a big ask. And we see that whenever the FC is threatened by privatisation by right-wing governments then it stresses the public benefits like mad, and then when we rescue it, it switches back to looking hard to raise more money (Fineshade Wood was mentioned).
I think there is still an argument for flogging off some of our forests – I’m not sure how many but if I were in government I’d have a hard look at it. These would be the most commercial and the least wildlife-friendly, landscape-friendly and ecosystem service-friendly forests. If we were starting from scratch we wouldn’t invent a body with such disparate aims and that’s why I’d rather see a merger between NE and FE to deliver a Forest and Wildlife Service. And if it ever happened, then I’d like to see the folk I met last week, the foresters (but they were all much more than ‘just’ foresters) have a big say in things, because FE staff are (generally speaking) talented, straight people who get things done. Point them in the right direction, rather than, as now, in two different directions, and they could do an even better job for the public.
We are where we are, but it is often useful to think where we ought to be. I’d say there was a stronger case, today, for having a state fishing fleet than a state tree-growing enterprise. A state fishing fleet could follow the science, reduce catches, increase fish stocks and then reap the benefits for ever more. It would be a good idea – let’s start buying out trawlermen!
But where are we with ‘our’ forests? Why hasn’t the outgoing, I hope never to return, coalition government, legislated to set up the new forest body following the Independent Forestry Panel’s report? It’s not as though Defra has been rushed off their feet – it’s rather difficult to know what the ministers have been doing for the last three years. English forestry is currently parked. What will the party manifestos say about it? My guess is precious little. What have the wildlife NGOs said about it?
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I think it’s probably best “parked” for now. I hate to think what sort of shambles might have been created in the frenzy to dump anything that cost money. I’m still an optimist and hope for better times. Just hang in there wildlife!
If you are going to merge FC and NE then is there not a case for the Environment Agency as well to include water? That would create a large body – so to save money you could abolish Defra, who I may not survive the next Govt re shuffle post election anyway.
I agree with Diana – best left for now; against all the odds FC land has become untouchable. The sales under the last Labour Government did virtually no harm and did rationalise the land holding – and actually really did ‘move’ forests to where they are needed, especially in the urban fringe. However, your comment on ‘commercial’ forests illustrates the dangers: Kielder always comes to mind but as a colleague remarked recently ‘most people in Northumberland think the forest is the national park (it was carefully excluded !) because that is where the things they want to do happen. So go tell the people of Northumberland their forest is just ‘commercial’ and should be sold off !
And there, of course, is the rub – its not just about the trees, or maybe not at all about the trees. The forests people ,love are really the national parks we never had – completely open and positively encouraging all the things other landowners love banning. And, as you rightly say, Mark, there is a very real need to update FC’s remit not to change what it is doing but to catch up with where it has got to and to give it permission to carry on and expand its mission into the future.
And if you want to know more please buy my book ‘Forest Vision’ (and if you are very interested and very rich, why not ‘Birds and Forestry’ by Avery & Leslie as well.
Labour allowed some sell offs of FC particularly woods that were not accessible to allow FC to acquire and expand elsewhere which was successful and well handled by the FC. I think they have a good record on restoring heathland, protecting what fragments of ancient woodland they have and protecting biodiversity, a huge improvement on the fairly recent past. There may well be a case for reorganisation but the important hung is to keep them in public ownership although I really don’t see private companies with an appetite to take on such a wide range of responsibilities and public liabilities. Multiuse forestry is the key and sensitive commercial management can bring conservation benefits with clear fell areas good for woodlark and nightjar and young plantations good for harriers and some owls. I don’t believe forestry in this country was ever safe in the hands of the unlamented coalition. Perhaps there is a case for a Wildlife Bill to develop a proper strategy