Concerned at what the Government's planned sale of woods might mean for our natural environment, I looked online for any campaigns that might have been mounted.
I found three:
The Woodland Trust's, "Save England's Ancient Forests"
"Save England's Forests" at saveenglandsforests.org (not sure who's behind this)
"Save our Woods" by 38 Degrees
Confused, I sent the following email to the Woodland Trust:
There appear to be at least three petitions on this issue, you guys, 38 degrees + saveenglandsforests.org. Are you collaborating? It would be worth
doing so publicly. You're missing the sense of scale behind the movement
otherwise.
Here was my speedy reply:
So, now you know
Tags for Forum Posts: forests
"Totally support the Woodland Trust's position . . . "
Perhaps, Mr Hoyle, there was a typo and the word "I" got left-off the start of your sentence?
If so, are you going to:
* Sign the Woodland Trust online petition?
* As a Tory party member and local election candidate (Seven Sisters ward in May) how will you be arguing your view within your party?
(Labour councillor Tottenham Hale ward)
Well, do you or don't you: "Totally support the Woodland Trust's position"?
If you do, why not sign their petition?
If you don't what did your post mean?
If you're not interested in woodlands and the proposed Government sale of forestry land, then why post comments about it?
Of course you're right that it's not a specific local ward issue. (Though if this sell-off succeeds I would start to worry in case someone else has plans to flog-off the Lee Valley Park.) But being a Haringey councillor doesn't stop me being interested in, enjoying and caring about all sorts of other places. Why is that "political rubbish?"
John Major called it "active citizenship".
I'd recommend this article from the Ecologist
Update:
The Guardian, BBC and Independent are reporting that the government is about to scrap plans to sell our forests
Campaign group 38 Degrees write "Over half a million of us should feel very proud of what we've achieved together. Let's keep watching but also celebrate what we've done!"
Hopefully this is a part of new Twenty-first century "settlement" - in the same way there was a broad cross-party 'Postwar settlement'. A huge and surprising range of people - from thoughtful Tories, to the Greens, Labour and the SWP - have said 'No' to the forest sell-off. Can the same sensible agreement be reached about other issues?
Agreed Alan. Commentators are of course describing the decision as a U-turn, incompetence. a panicked retreat. Can we not take a positive view and accept that this Government is prepared to listen to the people, unlike the previous one which regarded on-line petitions as nothing more than a useful safety valve ?
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