Campaign launched to protect Lake District forests

[Tony Gosling]

Friends of the Lake District has a long history 
of involvment with land management, beginning 
with buying our first farm in 1937 to protect it 
and to stem the decline in traditional Lakeland 
farming. All our farms were eventually given to 
the National Trust in the mid-1970s.
http://www.fld.org.uk/our-land.html

Today we own six areas of land:
In 1937 in an effort to stem the decline in 
traditional Lakeland farming and to protect the 
distinctive qualities of Lakeland farms we formed 
the Lake District Farm Estates Ltd. Over a period 
of nearly 40 years Lake District Farm Estates 
purchased 17 farms in areas felt to be vulnerable 
to development, including Rannerdale Farm, 
Buttermere, Skelwith Fold Farm, Langdale and Yew Tree Farm in Borrowdale.
Lake District Farm Estates made a timely 
contribution to the conservation movement filling 
a gap at a critical time during the 1930s and 
1940s before the creation of the Lake District 
National Park and before the National Trust had 
sufficient funds to embark on large-scale farms 
purchases. All the farms were eventually gifted 
to the National Trust in the mid-1970s.
Since the 1970s we have assisted other 
organisations with land purchases, particularly 
where public access is improved. To celebrate our 
50th anniversary in 1984 we bought Little 
Langdale Tarn and gifted it to the National Trust 
and in 2001 we gave £17,000 to help the National 
Park Authority buy Blea Brows on the shores of 
Coniston Water. Since the late 1980s we have 
again begun to purchase land when appropriate and 
where enhancement can be carried out. Today we own six areas of land.


POPULAR PLACE: Whinlatter Forest Park could be 
under threat if the Government goes ahead with plans to sell off woodland

Campaign launched to protect Lake District 
forests
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/farming 
/campaign-launched-to-protect-lake-district-forests-1.803602?referrerPath=2.1962

Last updated at 21:47, Thursday, 27 January 2011

THE Friends of the Lake District has launched a 
campaign against the sale of publicly owned woodlands.

The Government is about to launch a consultation 
on selling off England’s public forests.

This includes more than 30 forests and woodlands across Cumbria.

Legislation is also going through Parliament that 
would give ministers the power to sell off all 
the forests currently managed by the Forestry Commission.

The Government has four years to sell off all 
forests owned by the Forestry Commission as part of the consultation.

The Friends of the Lake District is asking people 
to join its campaign, Stop The Sell Off, and will 
hold a rally in Whinlatter Forest on Saturday, February 19.

A spokesman said: “The Government is deciding 
which forests will go as part of an initial 
consultation to sell off 15 per cent of forests 
owned by the Forestry Commission.

“We are pretty confident that Whinlatter won’t be part of this phase.

“What is more worrying, however, is that 
ministers are trying to change the Public Bodies 
Reform Bill to allow them to sell off all forests 
owned by the Forestry Commission and, if that was 
the case, then Whinlatter Forest would definitely be under threat.

“Rigg Wood was sold by the Forestry Commission 
last year and the new owners have closed the car 
park, removed benches and put up fences which 
will make it difficult for people to access the forest in the future.

“We don’t want to see the same happen to our remaining forests and woodlands.”
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