save the Forest from Government sell off....................

brutaldeluxe09
brutaldeluxe09 Posts: 96
edited December 2010 in MTB general
The government is planning a massive sell off of our national forests. They could be auctioned and fenced off, run down, logged or turned into golf courses and holiday villages.

We can't let that happen. We need to stop these plans. National treasures like the The Forest of Dean, Sherwood Forest and The New Forest could be sold off. Once they are gone, they will be lost forever.

Please sign the petition below to help save our Forests.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests

Thanks

James
«1

Comments

  • warm18
    warm18 Posts: 341
    done, this cant happen, it would be a disgrace.
    Adrian


    Zesty 514
    http://cornwallmtb.kk5.org
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Indeed, but this sounds like people who don't actually know what is happening with the land sold :s its not like they can leggally develope houses ont he land, its forrestry. It just means some vistor places may become private ownership rather than council which will probably mean better facilities for most :s
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Indeed, but this sounds like people who don't actually know what is happening with the land sold :s its not like they can leggally develope houses ont he land, its forrestry. It just means some vistor places may become private ownership rather than council which will probably mean better facilities for most :s
  • brutaldeluxe09
    brutaldeluxe09 Posts: 96
    Your're right it is highly unlikely that there will be mass deforestation but this does open up the possibility, better biking facilties funded privatly are only a possibillity should be there be commercial viability and I don't think you will find most Forestry Commission trails and visitor centres and commercial entities in their own right.

    I do agree with the idea of privtae ownership to fund trails obviously but it's an exspensive business and I think it is unlikely that a mountain bike consortium would be able to compete financially in a bidding war with other private companies should they want to take on any of this land on offer. Would the Mountain Bike community be prepared to pay to amount needed to fund new trails? Ultimatly the rider will pay the exspense!

    I know this does already happen in alot of areas and it can work so it is not beyond the realms of possibility but even these current private clubs have public backing financially.

    The current Forestry Commission trails are great palces for people to access the world of mountain biking, I urge you all to sign the petition.

    Thanks

    James
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    brutaldeluxe09 wrote:
    The government is planning a massive sell off of our national forests. They could be auctioned and fenced off, run down, logged or turned into golf courses and holiday villages.
    Oh no, logging operations in our forestries?
    What do you think the FC is doing now? :roll:
  • The Pinkster
    The Pinkster Posts: 3
    If companies such as UPM take the forestry over from FC it may well be for the common good judging by what they've achieved at Llandegla.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    UPM don't run Llandegla though. Oneplanet adventure does. They pay rent to UPM.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Sorry not signing it until i can see, or be shown there is a clear threat, at the moment to be honest what i can see is the local councils are shit at managing there resources and just managing in general. T
    his will transfer some land assests to private investor with out the ability to build big business(housing business parks and so on) so the chance are the land will be managed more ecenomically and in a more useful manner.
  • tsenior
    tsenior Posts: 664
    he did say UPM run the "forestry"....agree that the OP seems unduly concerned, well in our part of the world anyway, there must be 1000's of km2 forest in wales the reason its there is that its a good way to use the land.

    BTW yeeha i need to talk to you about oldish marins and getting the most out of the quad link system, i seem to remember you have a bit of experience in this area :wink: ...will post in the tech section tommorow or friday: am picking up a 2005 attack trail on sat 8)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    meh, PM me, i never read the tech section :lol:
  • brutaldeluxe09
    brutaldeluxe09 Posts: 96
    private acquiasition can only lead to commercial enterprise and this is highly unlikely to be as Mountain Bike orieentated as it is currently, OK so the forest might not (but might be) be bulldozed for property development the fact that they may not be places for bikes any more is tragic enough in it's own right.
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    My thoughts are also that this would likely be good for cycling. Private companies may be keen to open up the forests to generate more revenue.

    I also think that any change of ownership would be with strict safeguards to ensure continued public access and to encourage new facilities.

    The state are notoriously bad at managing land assets.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
    Boardman FS Pro
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    brutaldeluxe09 wrote:
    private acquiasition can only lead to commercial enterprise and this is highly unlikely to be as Mountain Bike orieentated as it is currently, OK so the forest might not (but might be) be bulldozed for property development the fact that they may not be places for bikes any more is tragic enough in it's own right.
    It was actually a few years before the Forestry comission "got" mountain biking. Before that time, they had nothing to do with it really, apart from just allowing people to use their land for this strange new phenomenon.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    brutaldeluxe09 wrote:
    private acquiasition can only lead to commercial enterprise and this is highly unlikely to be as Mountain Bike orieentated as it is currently, OK so the forest might not (but might be) be bulldozed for property development the fact that they may not be places for bikes any more is tragic enough in it's own right.

    Uhm have you read the full details around it? It wont be used for property development thats the point :S
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Thewaylander wrote:
    Uhm have you read the full details around it? It wont be used for property development thats the point :S

    I completely agree. These sites will never be given planning permission for anything other than the current commercial and leisure uses.

    It's just scaremongering against change.
    Boardman Elite SLR 9.2S
    Boardman FS Pro
  • brutaldeluxe09
    brutaldeluxe09 Posts: 96
    use this template to write to your local MP...................

    Dear Sir/Madam,

    I am writing to you because I am strongly against the proposed selling off of Forestry Commission land to the private sector.

    I disagree with this for the following reasons:

    * The cost to the public of recreational activities is likely to increase if woodlands are sold to the private sector.
    * The land use is more likely to be changed from forest and woodland to other uses, if sold to the private sector.
    * The profit driven management style of the private sector will reduce the care given to social and environmental land use issues.
    * Restrictions on land use types decreases the value of land when it is sold. Therefore, we fear that sufficient restrictions will not be placed on land that is sold, to ensure it remains managed on behalf of the people and the environment.
    * Public access and pathways are likely to suffer, due to them being of lower priority within private sector when compared to the public sector.
    * The work of the Forestry Commission (FC) in monitoring and regulating the commercial forestry of the private sector will probably increase dramatically. Given the FC budget cuts, it is unlikely they will have the staff to carry this out effectively and the natural environment will suffer as a consequence.
    * Once forests and woodlands are sold, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for the public sector to regain them.

    To conclude, I urge you to stand against this disturbing proposal and fight to preserve our historic forests and woodlands.

    Yours faithfully,

    A. Voter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    brutaldeluxe09 wrote:
    use this template to write to your local MP
    NO, Fu** off.

    One of our local MPs is actively involved in the building of more DH tracks, as it happens, so shove it.
  • Thewaylander
    Thewaylander Posts: 8,594
    Strangely i was thinking summat so similar to you here Yee lol
  • brutaldeluxe09
    brutaldeluxe09 Posts: 96
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    brutaldeluxe09 wrote:
    use this template to write to your local MP
    NO, Fu** off.

    One of our local MPs is actively involved in the building of more DH tracks, as it happens, so shove it.


    That's exactly why you need to write to him, he sounds like the sort of chap who would do something about this, easy now

    are these DH tracks you're building on public land by any chance?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I'm not building them, one of the local MPs is. I have no idea who owns the land, but I'm pretty sure it's not public. I know for a fact the origiinal location was privately owned land.
  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    brutaldeluxe09 - I think you need to calm down mate.

    From a brief read of the info it seems that any new owners will not be allowed to just cut all the trees down and build a supermarket or what ever on top. So anyone who does wish to buy some forest will have to use it as a forest.

    Yes we may loose some land as some people will wish to just keep it as their private bit of forest. But it also opens up the opportunity of private investors coming in a developing the land into something much more usable not just a collection of trees in the ground.

    Read the facts and keep an open mind.
  • tsenior
    tsenior Posts: 664
    i might buy some, bet it wont be that expensive..

    whenever i drive past one of those signs that says woodland for sale i'm tempted. you could use it for rough shooting, collecting firewood,and devil worship.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    tsenior wrote:
    i might buy some, bet it wont be that expensive..

    whenever i drive past one of those signs that says woodland for sale i'm tempted. you could use it for rough shooting, collecting firewood,and devil worship.

    yeah, thos devil worshippers pay top dollar to sacrifice young virgins in privacy....ahem, not that i'd know of course...i mean...ummmm...
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Actually, the bottom fell out of the devil worshipping market when EMOs came along to replace the Goths. No money at all in it anymore.
  • Chrisdawg
    Chrisdawg Posts: 19
    Dont think that mountain bike access is safe once these are hived off into private hands. If you look at the government bill that proposes this sell off, the only public access that will be safeguarded is on FOOT, there is even a mechanism to prevent this in certain circumstances.

    Those that ramble on about how brilliant Llandegla is and that it is a good example of how private enterprise is best, should know that FC Wales pumped over £800,000 into that site, this was in addition to other funding streams.

    And if you think that FC are butchers just wait till private enterprise is in the driving seat. At least FC are accountable to someone i.e the public, and not to profit driven shareholders. There are difficulties when dealing with individuals in any large organisation, but on the whole FC are pretty good to deal with.

    Granted that it is unlikely that wholesale development will take place, but you can bet your bottom dollar that any investor will want some of his dosh back fairly quickly, and he aint going to get that from a few mountain bikers. So guess wher it will come from; TIMBER and that comes from trees on the back of a timber wagon.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    (Facepalm)
    Why would the FC pump money into land that wasn't theirs?
  • d00m
    d00m Posts: 160
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    Actually, the bottom fell out of the devil worshipping market when EMOs came along to replace the Goths. No money at all in it anymore.

    Unless your in a crap band of course 8)
  • Chrisdawg
    Chrisdawg Posts: 19
    Its called a grant, how do you think all of these things get done in private woodlands. You dont actually think that owners spend much of their own money do you,
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Grants or business loans.
  • Chrisdawg
    Chrisdawg Posts: 19
    Grant, they dont have to pay anything back, but they do have to meet certain criteria such as providing free access, amongst others. Charging for parking is one thing charging to use trails is another.
    Trouble with grants is that there is usually only a limited pot whic is emptied on a first come first served basis generally. So dont be kidded into thinking that someone is waiting for the opportunity to create some amazing MTB centre because there are plenty of opportunities out there now. Trails cost a shed load to construct and you cant rely entirely on volunteers to produce anything on a big enough scale to make any centre worth travelling to. Maintenance ain't cheap either.
    Also the FC in England dont yet fund trail construction, paths yes mtb trails no. So the money that went to UPM at Llandegla is not available in England, I also believe that Wales will no longer fund projects like this again.

Categories