Forestry sell-off would change social and environmental landscape
Plans by the government to privatise up to half of Forestry Commission land would deny future generations of our woodlands and forests, the Public and Commercial Services union says.
The union also fears that hundreds of jobs would be at risk as a result of the sell-off and vulnerable rural communities would lose out.
In 2009 a detailed study of the long term role of the public forest estate was carried out by the Forestry Commission. It reported that public forests were good value for money providing multiple social and environmental benefits and concluded that public ownership was essential in supporting the estate.
The union has pledged to campaign alongside other unions, environmental groups and communities to secure the future of our forests for our children and grandchildren in the decades to come.
PCS Forestry Commission group officer Allan Mackenzie said “Our public forests contain some of the nation’s most important natural treasures and any thought of selling these to the highest bidder would go against all the progress being made to secure our natural environment now and into the future.”
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka added: “Public forests are a national asset enjoyed by all of us and selling them off to make room for golf courses or holiday parks would be a huge loss to the nation.
“Forests also play a major role in protecting the environment and this too would be under threat if they were sold off to private hands to chop down for profit.”
ENDS
Notes
– For information and interview requests, contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216
– The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, as well as staff in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich
– Follow PCS on Twitter
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