IT IS being said that the Forest does not belong to us, so we can't object to it being sold. But the Forest does not belong to anyone else, either. In a sense, it doesn't even belong to the State. The whole concept of ownership is irrelevant to the human or animal relationship to our natural environment: if anything, you could say, we belong to it.

People in the Forest understand this better than most and it is up to us to take the lead again in the fight against the sale of Forestry Commission land. This is not just a political fight against private ownership. It is a fight to keep woodland space open to the community.

Our role in this case is one of stewardship. This space needs management by qualified foresters and environmentalists who understand the ecological status of forests in the carbon cycle and the renewable energy field. Ideally this management should be linked to a global programme, but sadly this seems a long way off. Meanwhile, the Forestry Commission, along with agencies such as the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, who are aware of the challenge of climate change as well as the vital social amenities of our woodland, should be given this responsibility.

Michael Dunwell

Transition FoD supports HOOF

Staunton