The overwhelming opposition to the proposed sale of the public forest estate showed how highly people value green space for outdoor recreation.

This has been recognised by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons (16 February 2011) who said: "What is important is that we should be making sure that, whatever happens, we increase access to our forests...".

Growing participation can only occur with a consistent approach to land management. The Forestry Commission should aim to extract the maximum public benefit from the existing estate and seek to improve recreational and sporting opportunities in privately owned woodland.

Background

• The Forestry Commission is the single largest landowner providing sport and recreation opportunities in the country.
• The proposed sale of the public forest estate resulted in a 500,000 signature petition against the Government’s plans.
• The subsequent u-turn launched a review of forestry policy by an independent panel – this panel has now made recommendations to Government.

Current status

• Defra has accepted the report by the Independent Panel on Forestry and will make a formal response in January 2013.
• The Alliance is working with the Forestry Commission to improve opportunities for sport and recreation in the public forest estate.
• The Alliance is also providing advice to be included in the UK Forestry Standard to persuade private landowners of the value in providing opportunities for sport and recreation.

Action points

• Look out for the Government's plans due for release in early 2013
• The Alliance will be working with its members to respond to the report and recommend practical ways to get more people using forests and woodland.

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