I’m glad that Forest Holidays have decided not to appeal the planning authoritiy’s decision not to permit a major habitat-destroying development in Fineshade Wood. But rumours are that a revised application is heading our way. It’s a pity that Forest Enterprise have not learned their lesson on this one, given that there is much to…
Tag: forestry
Not so Fine Shade (8) – perfectly Fineshade!
Yesterday evening’s decision by East Northants District Council was the right one, and was arrived at through a mixture of heart and head. David Williamson, speaking for the Forestry Commission demonstrated no ecological understanding of the importance of this site and his message to the councillors was essentially ‘Don’t worry dears, it’s all OK really’. …
Not so Fine Shade
Fineshade Wood is not far from where I live, so I feel a bit guilty that I haven’t paid more attention to what is going on there. It’s a place I know, and like, and visit now and again, but it’s c40 minute journey from where I live, so if I want to visit a…
Sunday book review – Forest Vision by Roderick Leslie
This is a book about the politics of forestry by someone who knows them better than just about anyone else in the UK. Roderick Leslie went into the Forestry Commission straight from Oxford University in the 1970s and occupied a variety of senior roles in forest policy and practice including a spell as Chief Executive…
Where next with England’s forests?
The report of the Independent Panel on Forestry is a good one. I recommend that anyone interested in access, wildlife, trees, public policy, land use and politics should read it. The question for us all, particularly the coalition government, is ‘what next?’. Let’s go back to those distant-seeming days of early 2011 when David Cameron…
Forest Panel’s report published
The final report of the Independent Panel on Forestry has been published. The initial Defra response to the report was fairly warm, and fairly non-committal. Everyone else seems to like it: RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, National Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Save Our Woods, CLA, Royal Forestry Society. Media coverage includes: BBC, Guardian, Independent, Telegraph. Read…
Wildlife Trusts rehabilitated
The Wildlife Trusts, in my opinion, did not distinguish themselves over the issue of public forests and SSSIs in 2010/11. They gave the impression to many of us of having one eye on the main chance and having lost focus on the needs of nature. Let’s put it down to a momentary aberration which we…
Many bits and pieces
Last week this blog passed its 2000th comment – which seems pretty good going. I am pleased to see that regular commenter Dennis Ames provided that 2000th comment alongside 137 others over the months. I do enjoy seeing all your comments- whether I agree with them or not – do keep them coming please. I…
Lots of stuff!
I was pleased to see that in Martin Harper’s blog yesterday (which is always worth reading after you’ve read this one) that Martin encouraged RSPB members to sign up to the epetition on vicarious liability. I expect that the RSPB will give this a bigger push in the New Year and I will let you…
Importing diseases
The government is about to spend a pittance on a very serious problem – but it should be celebrated as a start. Our trees are under threat from imported diseases – perhaps from some diseases that stand a better chance of becoming established under new climate scenarios. So Defra and the (unreconstructed) Forestry Commission have…