Our Forests was formed to ensure that the public’s concerns and aspirations for our woods and forests are taken into account by the Government-appointed Independent Panel on Forestry, to persuade the NGO community to adopt a more proactive stance on the issue in line with the public’s concern, and to put forward a positive Vision for all of England’s woods and forests. We published a Vision in January 2012.

To explore whether that Vision accorded with what people who are passionate about forests and woods want for the future, the group engaged with members of 38 Degrees via a focus group and through conducting a robust on-line survey that yielded statistically significant results. These activities harnessed the considerable reach and experience of 38 Degrees in bringing together a wide cross-section of people to take action on issues that matter to them (534,000 people signed up to 38 Degrees on-line petition to ‘Save Our Forests!’ ).

Headline results

• Just under 90% of those surveyed (1,292 respondents – including people from across the UK,
  but predominantly England) are ready to campaign against the Government if their concerns
  about and hopes for their public woods and forests are not met.
• Over 98% want to see an end to short-termist political interference with our public woods and
  forests.
• Nearly 90% felt that our public woods and forests merited Government (i.e. public taxpayer)
  support.
• 65% of people were prepared to contribute a minimum of £5.00 (33% from £5.00 – £10.00) to
  more than £10.00 (32%) per year as taxpayers (current settlement granted to Public Forest
  Estate amounts to c. 30p per taxpayer per annum).
• 91% felt the Forestry Commission was ‘needed to look after our woods and forests’.
• 86% of those surveyed support Our Forests’ Vision for ‘one billion more trees’.
• 87% of people supported a doubling of England’s overall tree-cover from 10% to 20% over next
  50 years.

Read a summary of the Our Forests 38 Degrees survey