You can watch a new film about the Fight for the Forest on Blip.TV

Forest Of Dean attacked by Con DemLog Out government – selling off land & destroying services & communities

“The Forest of Dean is being attacked by this Con Dem government who are attempting to bring in new laws to sell off the Forest of Dean, as well as shutting down libraries and youth centres, and cutting benefits and public services to the most vulnerable people in our communities. On Friday 26th November people protested outside Coleford library and asked local MPs and Councillors their views on these issues. This is a film about that day, watch it to find out more about what is happening to our great Forest. More Info: FORESTERS have sprung into action in united opposition to what they believe will be a sell-off of public forests in England, including parts of the Dean. Action got underway following the government?s announcement last Friday (October 29) that it is committed to: ?Fundamentally reform the public forestry estate, with diminishing public ownership and a greater role for private and civil society partners.? Political leaders in the Forest unanimously welcomed the announcement. Forest MP, Mark Harper said: ?full measures will remain in place to preserve the public benefits of woods and forests under any new ownership arrangements.? The leader of the Forest of Dean District Council, Cllr Peter Amos said: ?I am pleased with the reassurances from the coalition government and 180 years on I feel Warren James can continue to rest in peace.? But their comments have done little to allay fears among Foresters. Dean Forest Voice held a meeting at the Rising Sun, Moseley Green, on Monday (November 1) and announced the setting up of a steering group to act as a source of ?reliable information regarding the possible threats of a sell-off of the Forest woodlands and to coordinate opposition. ?As in 1981 and 1992, this is not the first time that the Forest has come under threat from sell-off and now, as then, we are determined to fight the threat.? Colin Smith, chairman of Friends of the Forest, said: ?We declare our strongest opposition to even the slightest threat to our public woodlands, especially, of course, to the Forest of Dean. We hope all local environmental groups will unite to nip this lunatic suggestion in the bud.? The Review has been inundated with letters and calls, all in opposition to any potential sell-off (see our letters section). Bill Hobman, former chairman of the district council writes: ?I state then as now, that the people of this country to whom the Forest belong fought two world wars for King and country, it is ours, no one owns the freehold of the Forest of Dean, the government are the custodians and the Forestry Commission its managers.? Nationwide there is a petition in opposition to any forestry sell-off which has already attracted 28,000 people.”

Hands Off Our Forest is an organisation dedicated to fighting the threatened privatisation of the Forest of Dean. They have a new website that will contain information about meetings and rallies if you want to get involved.

The address is: http://www.handsoffourforest.org/

FORESTERS have sprung into action in united opposition to what they believe will be a sell-off of public forests in England, including parts of the Dean.

Action got underway following the government’s announcement last Friday (October 29) that it is committed to: “Fundamentally reform the public forestry estate, with diminishing public ownership and a greater role for private and civil society partners.”

Political leaders in the Forest unanimously welcomed the announcement.

Forest MP, Mark Harper said: “full measures will remain in place to preserve the public benefits of woods and forests under any new ownership arrangements.”

The leader of the Forest of Dean District Council, Cllr Peter Amos said: “I am pleased with the reassurances from the coalition government and 180 years on I feel Warren James can continue to rest in peace.”

But their comments have done little to allay fears among Foresters.

Dean Forest Voice held a meeting at the Rising Sun, Moseley Green, on Monday (November 1) and announced the setting up of a steering group to act as a source of “reliable information regarding the possible threats of a sell-off of the Forest woodlands and to coordinate opposition.

“As in 1981 and 1992, this is not the first time that the Forest has come under threat from sell-off and now, as then, we are determined to fight the threat.”

Colin Smith, chairman of Friends of the Forest, said: “We declare our strongest opposition to even the slightest threat to our public woodlands, especially, of course, to the Forest of Dean. We hope all local environmental groups will unite to nip this lunatic suggestion in the bud.”

The Review has been inundated with letters and calls, all in opposition to any potential sell-off (see our letters section).

Bill Hobman, former chairman of the district council writes: “I state then as now, that the people of this country to whom the Forest belong fought two world wars for King and country, it is ours, no one owns the freehold of the Forest of Dean, the government are the custodians and the Forestry Commission its managers.”

Nationwide there is a petition in opposition to any forestry sell-off which has already attracted 28,000 people.

Locally the Review has joined forces with its sister paper, The Forester, in a Hands off our Forest campaign, with online petitions on both our websites and a cut-out paper version in our newspaper.

Why not vote on our online poll…

BONFIRE CALL TO BATTLE!

THE Fern Bonfire at Speech House Field on Saturday (November 6, 6pm) will be the setting for a massive protest in song to stop the proposed sale of Forestry Commission woodlands.

Anyone who attends the event, which begins at 6pm, is being invited to join in a resounding rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Dean – last sung when our woodlands were similarly threatened in 1993/94.

Penned by the late Lily Dunn, the rallying call will hopefully be backed (as in the last battle) by Forest of Dean Male Voice Choir members. Dave Harvey has agreed to be MC. It is believed television cameras will be present too.

The Hands Off Our Forest campaign is gathering momentum and a petition form is printed here. It will also be available online on our website.

Was Warren James Right To Protest?

Friday 13th August, 7pm, Coleford Baptist Church. £3

In 1831 Warren James led 3000 Foresters to tear down the enclosures that prevented their livelihood….

In 2010 300 people gathered at Hopewell Colliery at an event to remember Warren James and this history…

A talk by Simon Sandall historian, lecturer and author. The free-miners of Dean and the defence of Forest custom during the seventeenth century ‘I want to say a few words about the history of protest in the Forest of Dean, this lecture will provide historical context for the Warren James uprising of the early 1830s.’

This will be followed by a debate on the relevance of Forest rights to those living in the Forest of Dean Today. Free mining and common rights, ownership, privatisation,.. And asks ‘Was Warren Right to Protest?’

Come along and share your views….

BOX OFFICE

All tickets are available at: The Forest Bookshop, 8 St John Street, Coleford

01594 833334 9 am–5.30 pm or on-line, post free, at www.forestbookshop.com

Those of you who missed the excellent Warren James day in the Forest of Dean last weekend and those who were there and want to relive it might be interested in the following link:

http://web.me.com/forestofdeanpodcast/Site/Welcome.html

Keep an eye open for photos etc. from the event.