The Independent Forestry Panel – set up in the wake of a public outcry over the Government’s proposed sell-off of parts of the public forestry estate has recognised that there should be a ‘continuing role’ for the nation’s woodlands – a view welcomed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
More than 42,000 people responded to the IFP’s call for views on the future of the public forest estate and the Panel said that the views have ‘helped inform’ their interim report.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust currently manages a number of nature reserves in the heart of the publically-owned Delamere Forest.
The IFP, chaired by The Right Reverend James Jones Bishop of Liverpool, also said that all woodlands, not just those in the public forest estate, should be ‘delivering more for society, the environment and the economy’ in the interim report ahead of a final response to Government in spring next year.
The trust is now looking to the Panel to explain to Government the true value of woodlands and to ‘bust the myth’ that the public forest estate is a burden on the state.
The net annual cost to the Treasury of Forest Enterprise, the arm of Forestry Commission England that manages the PFE, is under £20m.
The £470m investment in the Mersey Gateway would cover the current annual cost of the public forest estate for almost 25 years
Cheshire Wildlife Trust believes this represents a high value investment for a resource enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people in Cheshire alone, and millions more across the UK.
“In October, the Government announced a £470m investment in the Mersey Gateway – that would cover the current annual cost of the public forest estate with all its benefits to our wildlife and public wellbeing, for almost 25 years.” said the trust’s Director of Conservation Charlotte Harris.
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) report, issued in June, highlighted the hidden value of nature to the UK economy. It estimates the value of social and environmental benefits of all woodlands in the UK as £1.2 billion per annum.
Charlotte Harris added: “We understand the huge pressure on the Government to balance the nation’s books and make the necessary investment in the right infrastructure to kick-start the economy.
“However an annual investment in our public forests that represents significantly less than 1% of the current Housing and Environment budget is surely a commitment the Government can make to safeguard such a valued resource that provides substantial physical and mental health benefits, and a natural means to counter unpredictable impacts on our economy like flooding.”
The Wildlife Trusts across the UK have been pressing the Panel to articulate the numerous and substantial benefits drawn from our woodlands, with only 20% of the UK’s resource under public ownership.
