Our Forests!

a people’s vision for the future of England’s public woods and forests


* Please find all press releases, comment and publications from Our Forests at the bottom of this page.

Hen has joined forces with some of the biggest names in environmental campaigning & forestry, to form a new ginger group ‘Our Forests’

Our Forests is a collective initiative, an informal group of individuals with a shared set of core principles. One of which is the firm belief that the voice is heard of the over 530, 000 people that forced the momentous government u-turn.

Each member of Our Forests has been an important part of the Save Our Forests campaign since the outset. The group is made up of a diverse mix of backgrounds, from the former director of Friends of the Earth to a free-miner from the Forest of Dean. In alphabetical order:

  • Hen Anderson (Co-founder ‘Save Our Woods’, who also runs a smallholding and woodland on Exmoor)
  • Richard Daniels (Chair of the grassroots campaigning group Hands off our Forest (HOOF) in the Forest of Dean)
  • Dr Gabriel Hemery (chartered forester, co–founder and Chief Executive, the Sylva Foundation);
  • Tony Juniper (independent environmental advisor, campaigner, writer and former Director of Friends of the Earth);
  • Rod Leslie (former Chief Executive, Forest Enterprise);
  • Robin Maynard (environmental campaign consultant);
  • Jonathon Porritt (Founder Director Forum for the Future and former Chair of UK Sustainable Development Commission).

 

Our Forests offers a full and very interesting summary of the Forestry Commission’s 2009 public consultation on the long term role of the Forestry Commission Public Forest Estate (PFE).

A consultation that already outlines the public’s vision for our woodlands and forests!
Our Forests – A summary of evidence from the 2009 FC Public Consultation

Our Forests challenges Independent Panel on Forestry

03.08.2013

Bishop gives voice to growing unease over future of public woods and forests.

Latest Government plans raise more questions, rather than allaying fears.

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Government Warned on Public Forest Estate: Get the Economics Right!

22.01.2013

an economic analysis carried out for Our Forests confirms that both the Public Forest Estate and the Forestry Commission represent excellent value for public money.

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Autumn Statement – Go for Growth – Go for Trees

05.12.2012

At a time when leadership, vision and confidence are all important surely we cannot take the risk of being the country that can afford Trident but can’t afford it’s Trees.

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Our Forests initial response to Independent Panel on Forestry’s Final Report

04.07.2012

The Bishop’s report – like the Curate’s Egg – very good in parts, with some ‘runny’ bits…

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Public ready to rise up again if Government fails them over public woods & forests

25.06.2012

In a survey carried out by Our Forests with 38 Degrees [1], just under 90% of those responding [2] said they would campaign against the Government [3] if their concerns about and hopes for England’s public woods and forests are not met [4].

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Our Forests Vision for England’s Woods and Forests

11.01.2012

A new ‘Domesday Forest’ of more than 1 billion trees. All our public woods distanced from the control of ‘Big Government’ and given full and lasting protection for ‘Big Society’. A new, independent, publicly accountable body, ‘Forests for England’, with the resources and authority to lead on implementing this vision

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Our Forests press statement re: Independent Panel on Forestry Progress Report

08.12.2011

Jonathon Porritt of Our Forests! Responds to the Forestry Panels Progress Report

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Our Forests Requests Defra Internal Review

29.11.2011

Our Forests request an internal review of Defra’s refusal to provide us with certain information, as asked for in our FOI request

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NOTES OF OUR FORESTS MEETING held 14/10/11

22.11.2011

Present: Hen Anderson, Richard Daniels, Gabriel Hemery, Tony Juniper, Robin Maynard, Jonathon Porritt Apologies: Rod Leslie

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Trees in the Blood by Jonathon Porritt

17.11.2011

At the last Our Forests meeting it was agreed that in the countdown to the progress report being published by the Forestry Panel in early December, each member of Our Forests would write about what forests and woodlands mean to them and why they are so passionately fighting on their behalf. Here we have Jonathans’ story…

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Finally! DEFRA responds to Our Forests FOI submission

07.10.2011

Our Forests finally receives a response to the FOI submission sent to DEFRA & the Forestry Commission on the 29th July 2011

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Press Release: Government fails to meet deadline to answer questions on forests disposal proposals

05.10.2011

It is over 3 months since Our Forests sent in its submission seeking answers on the public forest disposal debacle, yet no final response has been provided, despite officials initially telling us, “we will be able to sort this out fairly quickly.”

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The public’s woods and forests – who met who, when, to talk about what…?

29.07.2011

Our Forests has put in a Freedom of Information [1] request to find out which organisations and/or other bodies have had or are having any discussions with officials as to the possibility of their taking on the ownership and management of any of England’s public woods and forests, as part of the Government’s stalled ‘disposal’ plans for the public forest estate.

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Our Forests; Briefing note 2 – Ancient Woodland on the Forestry Commission Public Forest Estate in England

22.07.2011

Our Forests publishes the facts surrounding the management of Ancient Woodland by the Forestry Commission.

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Our Forests meets in London – 12th July 2011

14.07.2011

Our Forests meeting 12th July 2011. The gloves are off!

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Thetford Forest Revisited

11.07.2011

Rod Leslie, co-author of ‘Birds & Forestry’ and retired head of policy at the Forestry Commission revisits Thetford Forest after almost 30yrs!

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Our Forests! Full Launch Press Release

16.06.2011

Our Forests! Full Press launch release

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Today sees the launch of a new ‘ginger-group’, Our Forests!

16.06.2011

Our Forests has been formed to make sure that the views of the more than half a million people who signed the 38 Degrees ‘Save Our Forests’ petition against the Government’s plans to sell-off the Public Forest Estate in England are listened to.

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