Will the Government do justice to the Forestry Panel?

In 2007 Rochdale was unique in the North West in that it was certified by the United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard for sustainable woodland management

The Campaign to Protect Rural England calls on the Government to accept recommendations which will help secure the future for England’s trees and woods.

On Thursday 31 January, the Government is expected to publish its response to the Independent Panel on Forestry’s report. The respons will set out the Government’s aspirations for the future of England’s Public Forest Estate.

Emma Marrington, Rural Policy Campaigner for CPRE, says: "It is clear that the Government made a huge mistake when it proposed selling off publicly owned forests. Hundreds of thousands of people voiced their anger at the proposal, forcing a U-turn. It was right, in the aftermath of this episode, to appoint an Independent Panel to consider the future of our woods and forests. Having done that, the Government must now act on what they said."

The Panel’s report was published in July 2012 and described a vision of a woodland culture for the 21st century, including recommendations to improve trees and woods for people, nature and the green economy. It also recommended that the Public Forest Estate should remain in public ownership – which the Government has already agreed.

CPRE particularly welcomed the following recommendations in the Independent Panel’s report:

- Increasing England’s woodland cover by 50 per cent by 2060
- Increasing access to public and privately owned woodland
- Planting trees and woodland closer to people
- Protection for ancient woodland and trees of special interest

Emma Marrington concludes: "The response to the Government’s original proposal to sell off publicly owned woods and forests showed just how much people across the country care about our wooded landscapes. Since then, the appearance of ash dieback in England has underlined both the importance of trees to the character of our countryside, including in hedgerows, and their vulnerability.

‘The Panel’s report was ambitious and wide-ranging. The Government should accept it in its entirety if we are to create a secure future for England’s woods and forests. This will require adequate funding and support from the grassroots right up to Whitehall."