Test Valley’s Liberal Democrats are backing the campaign against government plans to sell of national forests. The proposals, subject of a new government consultation, will allow the Environment secretary to lease or sell of vast tracts of publicly owned forestry land. An on-line petition against the plan has already attracted over 300,000 signatures. 

Local Lib Dem leaders have all signed the petition and we are urging our supporters to follow suit. The group also plan to raise the matter at the next borough council meeting with a motion in support of the campaign.

The proposals are driven by ideology rather than sound financial sense. They are not part of the coalition agreement and are opposed by the vast majority of the public. We will be looking to local conservatives to join us in persuading the government to drop this ill thought out plan

The full test of the motion is as follows

Council notes the government consultation on proposals to sell or lease off forestry commission lands.
Council believes such proposals to be short sighted, and contrary to the long term interest of this country and future of these woodlands
Council resolves to give its full support to the current campaigns against these proposals by calling on the government to withdraw these plans and urges our local MPs to do the same.

Full details of the campaign and petitions can be found at

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests andhttp://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigning/save-ancient-forests/Pages/fc-disposals-act-now.aspx?WT.mc_id=fc