Seeing the wood for the trees

2011 is the International Year of Forests, a UN initiative celebrating forests for people. As well as providing a vital carbon sink, unique habitats for biodiversity and recreational space known to improve well-being, forests are also viewed as a resource — and that tension is currently playing out in England.

The recent furore surrounding the Coalition government's plans to sell off a portion of England's woodland has caused a significant public outcry, ironically drawing much of its energy from the Conservative heartlands of Hampshire and Gloucestershire. Around half a million people signed the 'Save Our Forests' petition, which appears to have forced a U-turn and silenced the chainsaws, at least for now.

On the face of it, the government proposed selling off 15% of England's woodland, currently managed by the Forestry Commission, to private or possibly community owners to manage as they saw fit. The most likely use would be commercial logging, which would limit public access and turn a public resource into a cash cow for private enterprise.

However, it is not quite that simple. Few would argue against a shake-up of the Forestry Commission's role: it is the single largest owner and producer of timber in the UK yet still relies heavily on government subsidy. A critical look at its function is perfectly reasonable. Asset-stripping from a public body is quite another matter. The Conservatives sold off nearly 200,000 hectares between 1981 and 1997; Labour sold a net 4,500 hectares, with proceeds reinvested in forestry. Any proceeds from the recent proposed sell-off — estimated at £75 million — would have gone directly to deficit reduction.

A wider concern is that the Coalition government may return for more. There is a broadly held fear that the apparent retreat was a smokescreen for the Public Bodies Bill, returning to the House of Lords at the end of February, which could give ministers a mandate to sell off 100% of the forests should they choose.

The real victory so far is the return of people power — a growing sense that collective effort behind a unified message can force government to act. For now at least the trees are safe, but this is the first battle in a longer war.