FC, the future? local management?

[Bundle 2]

What's any of it really worth? I don't think anyone's really got a handle on it at the moment. There has simply not been the investment into the research that informs this question.

Much has been invested in it.Pounds and pence. Its a political posture that fails to acknowledge the value to our heritage in real terms but the pressing need to devalue(further) this resource under the auspices of servicing our national debt as a matter of the utmost urgency. I am not convinced. We should press for the appropriate integrated valuations. Not toss the baby out with the bathwater!

[Saw-sick Steve]

You may be right. OTOH a shooting syndicate that's forked out good money to buy what sounds like a nice piece of high amenity value woodland might feel less inclined to turn it into a slum.

That may be, but one things certain - public access will almost certainly be denied, and that will go for any privately owned wood without a statutary right of way.

I get an enormous sense of deja vu, it seems a case of selling something off that we already own for the benefit off others.

Regardless of the financial value of the timber, can we as a nation really justify the removal of so much potential amenity land from the general public's use, on this small overcrowded island of ours?

[RichardT]

Writing as I am from north of the border, public access isn't much of an issue. Elsewhere access is as you suggest often permissive rather than statutory, if it proves a problem it can be legislated for. I'd have thought it's likely that access will be monetarised more often than denied outright. And you never know, maybe we'll see a Big Society flavour to the selloff with community buyouts favoured, etc.

[Bundle 2]

I must have to admit, this is the flip side of the scenario....If there is no value in the timber, or perhaps if a return that exceeds the performance of softwood crops can be wrought from "recreation" as you have suggested RichardT( Monetaray access...facilitating the return) the woodlands become valuable . Everybody wins..

Woods get managed

Public get access/education/recreation etc

Asset value is increased in of itself.

 

Of course, it goes without saying that the "externalities" in need of assessment can be funded form the purse of "healthy" business.