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I do not normally get involved with political debates, being of the belief that politicians will do as they please anyway until they are voted out - which can take long enough for the damage to already have been done. In the case of the government's recent proposal to sell off our forests however I felt I had to stick my oar in - for what it's worth. The government have pointed out that such a sale would not affect such issues as rights of access or usage by the public but just in case we've forgotten the damage mass privatisation has done to our country in the past, let's take a look at our overpriced and chaotic rail network and compare it to the efficient state-run networks of Switzerland, France and Germany. Alternatively we could consider how many foreign companies own other parts of our national infrastructure; power generation, gas and water distribution, the list goes on. All incidentally were built up and maintained using taxpayers money and were not the personal property of the politicians of the time who were merely custodians. Would the curator of the National Gallery sell off the paintings to the highest bidder who walked through the door? No - that would be theft. Point made. Our forests and woodlands are part of our national heritage and it is our duty to preserve them for future generations. This is not to say that we cannot gain commercially from these assets. The Forestry Commission continue to do an excellent job of managing our forests. Timber is harvested to be sold and the felled areas are replanted as in any sustainable agricultural process - only here the timescale is much longer. Logging operations take place with a minimum of disturbance to wildlife or inconvenience to people using the forest for recreation which would suggest that they are making a good job of it. Why then try to fix something that is not broken? Recreation is a major factor to consider. Many people - myself and my family among them - visit the forests for outdoor activities such as walking and cycling with the forest roads providing a safe place where children can ride bikes away from the dangers of the road and adults can set off on mini adventures on two wheels or on foot to enjoy some of our country's finest scenery. I believe too that outdoor activities such as these contribute to the health of the Nation and that people should be encouraged to engage in them for the sake of their own health. That's quite apart from the fact that riding one's bike through the trees, miles from anywhere, is loads of fun! This very recreation - people enjoying the outdoors to the general benefit of their health and well-being - can itself bring in revenue and does so in many of the Forestry Commission managed sites. This is alongside the long term gains from the logging operations. Visitors mean money spent on car parking, on meals in visitor centre cafes, on bike hire and in the gift shop. The visitors' benefit is from the enjoyment of the outdoors and in learning about the wildlife and ecology of the area they are in. Surely the way forward for our forests is to keep and refine a system that is working already for the benefit of all. By all means make cuts where there is wastage, but reasonably priced car parking and affordable meals on site alongside additional adventure activities will ensure the visitors keep coming and keep paying towards the upkeep of the facilities that they use. Keeping the timber and possible biofuel assets in public hands too is surely better than the short term gain of a quick sale that will leave us with nothing a couple of years down the line. Pete Buckley is the author of 3 books on travel and the outdoors and runs several blogs including In the Lakeland Fells
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forests, forestry, outdoors, privatisation,
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