Huge sell-off of Britain's forests.

[Cracker]

"Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, is expected to announce plans within days to dispose of about half of the 748,000 hectares of woodland overseen by the Forestry Commission by 2020.

 

The controversial decision will pave the way for a huge expansion in the number of Center Parcs-style holiday villages, golf courses, adventure sites and commercial logging operations throughout Britain as land is sold to private companies. "

Ministers plan huge sell off of Britain's forests - Telegraph

[Charlieh]

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/forestry-woodland-management/21512-fc-future-local-management.html

[slack ma girdle]

How is it that the F.C. used to be the only department in the government that used to make money for the government, and keep the forests for the nation, can no longer do this ! I can not believe that the F.C. is no longer viable, and that it needs to be sold off for short term gain:cursing:

[Andy Collins]

Was it ever truly viable? From recollection it used to get massive kickbacks from the govt, was in an unfair position as opposed to private concerns. Surely now it will help level the playing field and create a better market for all? As a country, we do not need to, nor can afford to support these top-heavy nationalised concerns.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It is true that privatisation of a thing means that competition drives a healthy business.

 

im with Andy on this one, top heavy is the FC, maybe once theyve been brought down to earth and the cash cow ends, they will have to finaly conceed and join forces with "other" tree related concerns.

 

LONG overdue is that, i wonder is that why they are talking again!

[Johny Walker]

i would have thought they will be keepnig all the best bits back for them selves & just flogging of the crap none viable woodland

[jay053]

Well this will be the next best thing to the mistake Gordon Brown made by selling our GOLD!

David cameron Selling our Lumber! Madness!

 

But an opportunity for us!

[Treegeek]

For sure its mixed bag i can remeber the sawmill i worked for was losing out on jobs to the FC so i can only think its going to open up the market for small companies but also who is in the position right now to purchase these forests and will it be another buricratical sell off for a fraction of the true costs ??? could it just destabilise the industry ???? no expert but a big player in the game goes pop then leaves all the smaller out fits to fhight it out, no disrespect to the small guys.

[Matthew Arnold]

The FC around my neck of the woods are keeping their productive pieces of woodland and are flogging off the pieces that are not productive (fungi ridden, small trees, heavy squirrel damage, etc). Dorset county council and a few local organisations have just bought 117 hectares of mixed plantation woodland around Hardy's Monument. My colleagues and i were deciding what would be best for the woodland. The first plan would be to remove the invasive species and non-native species of trees. There is a massive amount of Douglas Fir, Corsican Pine, Scots Pine and European Larch. We would thin out the fir plantations to give the trees a bit more growing room. The FC had removed a big chunk a few years ago and the heathland in the area has regenerated very quickly. So the long term plan is to restore it to heathland and keep the larger specimen trees.

[lendahand]

Well this will be the next best thing to the mistake Gordon Brown made by selling our GOLD!

David cameron Selling our Lumber! Madness!

 

But an opportunity for us!

 

You maybe right, was'nt the whole reason the FC came about was that during the first world war (and no I cannot remember it) we had to ship timber from around the world to us when we could have been bringing in food. The thinking was that Timber takes up a lot of room and if there is a national emergency you are going to need a source on your doorstep and a lot of it.