NFA NEWS ARCHIVES: 2010

Recent press speculation has suggested there might be a sell off of 50% of Forestry Commission managed lands.

There needs to be good reason for retaining areas of national and international importance such as the New Forest. This Forest is the last major link with the Royal Forests of William the Conqueror, who introduced special laws to enable its survival as a hunting forest. Changing administrations in the 16th and 19th centuries caused huge unrest because of the upset to the balance between the various forces acting upon the lands. The key to the diversity and unique habits that form the New Forest is the grazing regime and mixture of bogs, woodlands and lowland heath that has evolved for the ponies and cattle to roam over. These animals are owned by commoners whose rights have been jealously protected since before the Norman invasion.

Virtually all commoners are part time small-holders who need to live in close proximity to the Forest with access to a small amount of back-up land. The Forestry Commission has a housing stock in the New Forest some of which is let to commoners and some used by their own officials, a number of whom graze stock themselves.

The New Forest Association (NFA) believes that the Crown Lands of the New Forest deserves the best management expertise the Government can offer. The delicate balance between commoning, conservation, recreation and commercial forestry is easily disturbed.

We do not believe that a private operator managing these state owned lands would be able to offer sufficient safeguards for the future sustainability of the New Forest. We are not only facing economic recession but also coming to terms with the impact of climate change upon the unique habitats. It is vital that whatever management expertise has been gained over the years and decades is retained for the benefit of the New Forest and the nation.

Loss of the commoners housing stock retained by the Forest Commission could result in major parts of the Forest becoming overgrown and inaccessible to the millions of visitors who come from all over the world.

There are many precedents for the New Forest being made a special case and we believe that this should happen now by allowing the status quo to continue thereby ensure the future viability and health of these internationally important lands.

To this end we would ask those wielding the axe to not take hasty action, but to take advice and think long and hard before making any decision which could have appalling long term effects on this special place which is so close to the hearts of millions of their constituents.

Close Article     |     Top of Page