CAMPAIGNERS have been told the fight must go on to keep our Forest and other woodlands in public hands.

Councillors Andrew Gardiner (Ind, Lydbrook & Ruardean) and Graham Morgan (Lab, Cinderford West) urged an audience at the Coleford Festival of Words' Whose Forest event on Saturday to make a stand against Forestry Commission cuts, which are due to start in the autumn.

Coun Gardiner, recently appointed the district council's Forest champion, said: "The Forestry Commission and the Forest of Dean should be treated as one entity – if one falls down, the other will automatically follow."

Coun Morgan added: "My concern is what the Government is doing is withering it on the vine and doing it by stealth."

They urged people to write letters to newspapers, the panel, the Government and MPs calling for the Forestry Commission not to be cut.

Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon said: "I don't think the law gives the secretary of state permission to sell off 15 per cent of our forests each year.

"Defra lawyers think differently. We are waiting for a legal opinion. If necessary we'll go to court."

High-profile environmentalist Jonathon Porritt called on members of the National Trust, Woodland Trust, RSPB and Wildlife Trust to write to the charities and call them to account on the issue of keeping our forests publicly owned and managed.

The four organisations' chiefs sit on the Independent Panel for Forestry, set up after the Government backed down on its forests disposals plan on February 17. But Mr Porritt said he was concerned that none have made it clear where they stand on the issue.

"We've written to them all, and they've all said they don't think it's appropriate to tell us what their views are."

He urged: "If you are members of any of those organisations, get in a reminder letter saying it's to keep your organisation alive that I pay my annual subscription, so you can do a good job on behalf of the causes, issues and passions that we have about maintaining the right kind of approach to the natural environment in our country."

Mr Porritt revealed that he had met Oliver Letwin, the Government's policy minister, who said it was a "handling issue" by the Government.

"In politics a 'handling issue' means that you were still 100 per cent right but you just handled it badly," he said. "This isn't a Government that has backed off from its proposals and everything we hear indicates that all they've done is just withdrawn for the time being."

About 50 people attended the daytime event at Coleford Baptist Church, co-organised by Hands Off Our Forest.

l Coun Gardiner will be asking for full backing from fellow councillors tonight for the district council's response to the panel.