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| Royal Forest of Dean: Source |
Gerri Peev
Daily Mail
Ministers have signalled a retreat on selling off England’s precious woodlands, saying the contentious plan was ‘not a done deal’.
The government performed its first big U-turn on the austerity plans for precious woodlands, scrapping proposals to sell off 140 National Nature Reserves.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman pledged that they would remain in public ownership after all.
She also stressed that the consultation to sell off 258,000 hectares of national forests was ‘not a done deal’ and that ministers would listen to campaigners.
Mrs Spelman was trying to appease public anger over the move, which has united environmentalists, celebrities and even Tory backbenchers into a campaign against handing over woodland to private firms and charities.
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