Wednesday 31 July 2013

e-Petition To Save the Forestry Commission!


We have received this note from Unite - please support!

Unite was a major part of the fight that saved our Forests from being taken out of public ownership. A key part of that success was the huge public support that was mobilised behind the issue and protecting these open spaces for the benefit of millions of ordinary people. Placing the ownership in to the hands of greedy profit merchants would have had a significant impact on the restrictions to access these areas, many of which are a key feature to some of the most breath taking landscapes within the UK. Our e-petition was supported by thousands of members and the wider public and against such a wave of public outcry the Con-Dem Government thankfully did one of its now infamous U-turns  and has left the future of our Forests in the public domain.

The Government has now enacted a review of the Forestry Commission (FC) with the intention of breaking up the FC. The FC has been responsible for the management of our Forests since 1919 and much of the success of the FC has been down to the dedicated, professional and vocationally motivated staff many of whom are Unite Members.
There exists huge concern that if the commission is allowed to be broken up then that commitment could well be lost in the replacement organisations to the detriment of the ordinary people who access those forests. If the Government are allowed to destroy the FC then who knows what damage may be done and how many workers may be displaced as a consequence.
The clear message must be that protecting the Forestry Commission is a further step to preserving the future of our Forests and those who ensure that these areas are kept in existence for public benefit for this generation and future generations to come.
I am therefore asking that you support the attached e-petition

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