Huge sell-off of Britain's forests.

[jay053]

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.

 

Yes Lumber is going to go a similar way as gold value did when it was sold at the bottom of the gold market by gordon! UP in value!

The thing is once our forests are gone into private hands thats it there is no getting it back!

Forests are the source of a major Bio-fuel commodity!

I see this as beng a big mistake!

[gensetsteve]

Perhaps we could apply for a grant to buy the forests . With most of our gas due to be coming from russia any unrest in that part of the world or anywhere in between we could well need forests for heating. I would imagine a pipeline supplying most of europe would be a major target.

[PeteB]

Woodlandforsale.com:sneaky2:

 

I fancy a bit of forest of my own - especially if I can build my home/workshop there!

[Andy Collins]

The plantations of forest were indeed planted in order that we would be self-sufficient following numerous wars. Nowadays warships arent built of timber, we hardly need masses of timber for pit-props, the large number of trenches in the 1st World War consumed vast quantities and so on. We are no longer self-sufficient in any commodity let alone timber, we cant feed or heat ourselves. Our electricity gas water and food comes from abroad, and timber is imported from the Baltic States far cheaper than we can produce it, even with a subsidised dinosaur such as the FC. The biggest asset of woodlands and forest these days is probably the recreational market, and this can be run, probably even at a profit, by private concerns.

It will help create a fairer market, where market forces dictate, rather than the Fat Cat FC getting govt hand-outs (our money) and having a distinctive unfair advantage over the private sector.

[Lee Winger]

Government owned national parks and woodlands thats what they should become, and not playgrounds for the rich, or a get rich quick venture for timber men...

[lendahand]

It will help create a fairer market, where market forces dictate, rather than the Fat Cat FC getting govt hand-outs (our money) and having a distinctive unfair advantage over the private sector.

 

Small point: I am not sure I can stomach seeing all the big fat cat payouts and gold plated pensions dished out which will come, as sure as night and day when it's sold.

Also, I remember the council house stock around here, sold off recently for around 8k a unit, (mkt value would have been x 15) are they going to give away the forests for a quick return. Better to sell small parts off for developments Like Centre Parks, rather than a reported 50% clearout. The very nature of CP's is they retain around 70% of all the trees anyhow.

[Andy Collins]

maybe the thought of golden handshakes turns your stomach, but at least they wont be milking you and I dry for all eternity. Just maybe some of these top fat cats will re-invest in the forests as the miners did with the mines? The days of nationalised industry are well behind us, and thank God for that.

[jay053]

Well as there is more money printing this will cause hyper inflation and commoditys will rise hugely in value this includes lumber, also as the worlds population increases there will be more need for lumber!

Most importantly forests are a mojor source of a very usefull commodity and thats bio-fuel, as the goverment are trying to reduce CO2 emissions why on earth are they selling off our source of Co2 free energy!

Once they are sold off thats it there is no getting them back from the private investors!

 

I can gaurantee many of the buyers will be in it for one reason and thats to make alot of money, they will not care about anything else!

 

I just hope I can get my hands on some before all the fat cats and already huge land owners get in there!

[jay053]

Perhaps we could apply for a grant to buy the forests . With most of our gas due to be coming from russia any unrest in that part of the world or anywhere in between we could well need forests for heating. I would imagine a pipeline supplying most of europe would be a major target.

 

 

Agreed, Fossil fuels are going to rocket in price as world demand increases, this makes lumber as a bio-fuel, which is already cheaper than oil/gas very attractive!

If the woodland is privatised the owners will take advantage of this and charge us the earth for this fuel!

[Quickthorn]

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:

 

As far as I know, they do make a profit on the forestry side, but over the years, they've been 'lumbered' (sorry) with all the social benefits type duties. Last time I looked, I think the forestry profits are just about cancelled out by all the amenity stuff. It certainly flies in the face of the results of the consultation they did recently. 85% of people answering that think the public estate should increase in size rather than decrease.

 

I'd imagine that the 'best bits' are exactly the bits that they will sell off: anything with profitable crops near to end of rotation, nice broadleaved woods that can be sectioned off and sold in 4ac parcels to amenity buyers, or rammed full of pheasants by some shoot of another. The bits they'll keep are the non productive or disease affected plantations, and the awkward bits that have SSSI obligations and so on.