Government cash cuts are threatening England's forests the group said

Campaigners say coalition Government cuts are harming the public forests that were saved from being sold off after a huge outcry against the plans.

The Forests Campaign Network, an umbrella body of 16 groups involved in the anti-sell-off movement, has written an open letter to environment ministers and the Chancellor George Osborne.

The network, which says it represents more than half a million active campaigners, demanded assurances that cash would be devoted to maintain the public forest estate.

The letter, to Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary of State Owen Paterson and Agriculture Minister David Heath said: “Cuts in funding are already having a negative impact nationally.

“All Forestry Commission-led educational activities have stopped; many visitor facilities, trails, footpaths and drainage ditches cannot be adequately maintained and in some cases have been closed.

“Reductions in FC funding have also resulted in reduced vigilance against illegal felling and vandalism of some woodlands placing further strain on police resources.

“Volunteer initiatives have collapsed due to lack of funding and qualified staff to train and direct them.

“At a time when England’s woodlands and forests face serious threats from disease and climate change –most notably Ash Dieback – a depleted, overburdened FC staff are clearly doing their utmost to protect and preserve the PFE but the acute financial pressure coupled with the prospect of further drastic cuts to their budget is preventing the long-term planning and allocation of resources vital to maintaining the health and public benefits of the PFE and to improve income generation for investment in its future success.”

Owen Paterson, one of the recipients of the open letter. Photo: Defra

Last July, the Forests Campaigns Network welcomed the findings of the Independent Panel on Forestry which former Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman set up following an upsurge of opposition to her plans to sell of Forestry Commission land in England.

This week, the FCN letter said: “We recognise the active engagement from Government following the publication of the IPF report and from this dialogue we felt confident that your department broadly agreed with the recommendations made by the IPF.

“However, since this positive first step there has not been any commitment from your department regarding adequate funding of the PFE.”

The network letter said public forestry funding is to be reduced from its current level of £20m to £18m in 2013, and then to ‘a totally inadequate level’ of less than £13m by 2015.

FCN said: “Clearly, to ensure the continuation of the benefits provided by the PFE requires investment and a commitment to an adequate level of annual funding.

The Government provoked widespread opposition to its plans to sell off England's public forests

“The IPF report estimates this annual requirement at £22m ‘to maintain the estate’s capital value and sustain the current levels of benefits over time’.

“Given the estimated value of benefits provided by the PFE at £400m annually – not including health, cultural and social benefits – we feel that it makes sound economic sense to commit fully to the recommended level of funding.

“Put simply, the level of funding recommended by the IPF required to maintain the Public Forest Estate is a very small commitment of public money for great public benefit.

“The people of this country have made it clear how important our forests are and the huge benefits they provide, a message repeated and reinforced by the Defra-appointed IPF.

“Will you listen and act accordingly? Or must campaigners continue to bang the drum?”

A Defra spokesperson said: “We will be publishing our response to the Independent Panel on Forestry in the near future.”