Barking up the wrong tree

The government has announced plans to sell-off national forests and 
areas of woodland to private buyers in an attempt to reduce the 
budget deficit. The move would not only significantly reduce the 
amount of land on which we can walk our dogs, but it would have an 
extremely negative effect on the environment.
The Forestry Commission, the government department responsible for 
the protection and expansion of forests and woodland, which is the 
largest land manager in Britain and the biggest provider of outdoor 
recreation, was targeted for cuts in the Comprehensive Spending 
Review. Forestry Commission land – such as the Forest of Dean, 
Sherwood Forest and the New Forest – is one of the few areas to 
promote off-lead access for dogs and is not subject to dog control 
orders.
There are numerous ways you can oppose this decision. You can contact 
your local MP or the Defra ministers who introduced the plans, 
Conservatives Caroline Spelman and Jim Paice, at the House of 
Commons, London SW1A 0AA. There is also a petition available, which 
has been signed by over 248,000 people and can be found at www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests#petition