Government selling off our forests!!!!

[Heinz]

sounds like it might be right up your street?

Sounds like it might get me killed more like  I like being underground but it's quite sobering to revisit a mine and find huge chunks of it collapsed. The three big slabs have come out of the roof since the last visit, brilliant mine though, many levels, cuts through lovely Roman (IIRC) workings and has a mile? long drain tunnel from the lowest level to the river, never quite got the courage to attempt this as there was no way back if it went udders up.

I've not been near the Forest of Dean..yet! These kind of stories exist all over the country and there's often some truth behind them. Friend of mine was involved in a bronze age crannog (spelling?) archaeological dig during the summer. WW2 airfield next to the loch where the crannog is. Guess where they dumped the planes after the war??
Cheers,

Heinz

[KLD]

Well, as long as no damage or disturbance is being done, then I can't see any problem. But a lot of such things is down to the attitude of the people involved, that's both sides... If I saw you walking through my field and asked you to leave, there'd be a reason for it and I'd expect you to have the courtesy to do as asked.

Heinz, funny you should have the right to "expect" me to leave without a grumble. Can you explain who gave you that right?

Klaus

[Heinz]

Heinz, funny you should have the right to "expect" me to leave without a grumble. Can you explain who gave you that right?
Klaus

It's really very simple. It's my field, I worked my arsse of to raise the money to buy it, and I work my arsse off in it to feed my children. You may walk on it, but only when it's not detrimental to whatever I'm doing in it... and I'm the judge of that, not you.
 
The real problem here is envy/jealously. I have something which you don't, it doesn't matter how I got it, hard work or silver spoon, it's mine and that's what annoys you, therefore you and people like you will make a point of wandering through it because "it's your right".

People have always wandered through woods and fields without any problem but the rise of the self righteous minority who demand to walk wherever and whenever they like no matter what, "it's my right!!" are just screwing it up for the responsible majority....

We'll never agree, my pine tea is getting cold and we've crayoned all over this thread enough, so this is my last word on the subject unless a Mod moves this topic into it's own thread?

Heinz

[KLD]

The real problem here is envy/jealously. I have something which you don't, it doesn't matter how I got it, hard work or silver spoon, it's mine and that's what annoys you, therefore you and people like you will make a point of wandering through it because "it's your right".

That's exactly NOT the real problem. The history of landownership in this country has led to a situation where "it's NOT my right" to walk where it pleases me. What annoys me is that from the Normanic hunting enclosures all the way through to today's situation the landowners make the law.

Yes, 'nough said, no agreement possible. As it has been for the last many centuries.

Klaus

[mespilus]

Hmmm.....

Anyone ever seen a political party campaigning on a
'Repeal The Enclosure Acts' pledge?

[martin]

spotted at the BGG



I would also suggest that the water is getting muddied on this matter - access to farmland and forestry are to my mind two very different issues - some parallels, but not the same!

[dtl]

I am fortunate to live in scotland where a right to roam across the countryside is law.
Generally this works well, if there are any problems with this system the responsibility can probably be shared equally between the parties on each side of the fence.

[Outtasight]

The BBC ran this story again today.

Interestingly, I think the bod that spoke in opposition to the plan must have read the Oildrum article on British energy security in the next decade, as he mentioned that there could even be the risk that a energy company would buy the land and chop the trees down as a cheap source of fuel for generating electricity. 

Probably a ludicrous suggestion, but the Oildrum writer did point out that historically, the fastest way for a politician to be turfed out of office unceremoniously is for him to allow a power blackout from mis-management of the power generators.  The most chilling thing that the Oildrum article said was that the government would be forced (eventually) to abandon all idea of eco-policy and would burn everything to keep the lights on. 

I'm sure that selling off some woodland for "emergency fuel" for coal fired power generation in a tight spot (when outbidding the Chinese for the last few ship-loads of coal proves impossible) sounds like a good idea to a politician.  Who knows, could be tied in with discovery of shale gas under the forest...

[smegal]

I think power companies will begin to enter the coppicing business in the future. There is so much pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [rightly so] and very little other viable options for making up the capacity elsewhere.

I just hope that they manage it well.

[renewablejohn]

I think power companies will begin to enter the coppicing business in the future. There is so much pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [rightly so] and very little other viable options for making up the capacity elsewhere.

I just hope that they manage it well.

Already happening which has resulted in the price of woodland going up. Just for a 300kw CHP plant we would require 300 hectares of woodland to harvest on a sustainable basis. That said I will be there with my cheque book if forests are being sold at reasonable prices the only thing putting me off is disease liability as some of our forest are in very poor health.

[Baz]

Jeremy Vine phone in-12midday today ie now

radio 2

[Outtasight]

You could also head over to the 38 degrees web site to sign the petition against selling off the woodlands and there's a wizard to write to your local MP as well.

http://38degrees.org.uk/

In our town we've already had a hoo-haa about a private company taking over a bit of woodland and putting up signs telling dog walkers to "keep out".  The argument that the conditions of sale of the woodland mean the public will be allowed continued access are easily flouted by the new "land owners".

I signed the "keep the RHI promise" petition while I was at it.

[desperate]

Sounds like the Numpties are backtracking somewhat, they have sussed there's not a lot of money to be made, but a lot of public anger to be risked, fingers crossed then.

Desp