GRAHAM Morgan wrote to me recently about the HOOF campaign. He told me the campaign was not politically motivated and he wanted as many people as possible in the community to join it, so that the Forest of Dean would not be sold off.

Unfortunately, like so many statements made by members of the Labour Party, Graham's words turn out to be nothing but sophistry.

In the first few lines of his letter, published in The Forester of November 25, he demonstrates how he is cynically using the campaign for his own political ends. It is clear that from Graham's point of view the HOOF campaign provides him with a great opportunity to damage the reputation of our MP, Mark Harper, anyone else who might support the Conservative Party or, it seems, anyone else who has not lived in or near the Forest for more than 50 years. Not exactly the best way to encourage as many people as possible to join the campaign.

To my way of thinking we are extremely fortunate in having a Member of Parliament who is a Minister at the heart of government and thus in a position to influence policy, as far as he can, in the interests of his constituents.

No doubt, when a White Paper has been published setting out the Government's actual intentions for the future of the Forestry Commission and we are all in possession of that information, Mark Harper will be able to tell us exactly how the Forest of Dean would be affected.

In the meantime, Graham Morgan will no doubt continue to use the HOOF campaign to generate as much fear as possible amongst our community, based on Graham's interpretation of a leaked document from Defra.

I try to look at the facts as we know them now. For example, the Forest of Dean is not owned by the Forestry Commission. The Commission has a duty to manage the Forest on behalf of the Secretary of State, who, according to the Land Registry, owns the freehold. Thus neither the Forestry Commission nor its successors are in a position to "sell off our forest", as asserted by HOOF. It is interesting to note, however, that woodland on the periphery of the Forest, which is in the ownership of the Forestry Commission, is being sold off. This is a process that has been going on for years, without any complaint from or any consultation with the community at large, as far as I am aware.

I am confident that the Forest of Dean, which is a Statutory Forest, will never be "sold off", as the HOOF campaign would have us believe. A more likely scenario is that the local community will be given a much greater say in its future management, with issues such as access, wildlife preservation, ecology, felling and tourism being part of that responsibility.

In other words, the management of the Forest of Dean will not be dictated by Whitehall, but will be devolved to the governance of local people who enjoy all its many benefits.

Although Graham Morgan may like to look forward to a day when my predictions have been realised and he can crow about the "victory" achieved by the community, I believe it will be a hollow one, because the campaign is being fought against a threat that does not exist. The phrase "tilting at windmills" comes to mind!

Brian Thornton

Aylburton