Public forests are -the- place where birds of prey are safe

Today The Hawk and Owl Trust released a strongly worded position statement aimed at the England Forestry Panel. It states that:

• Forestry Commission forests must remain in national ownership and be given effective protection in the public domain for all of us, for ever
• the Forestry Commission should be given a new constitution and a new remit with protection of the environment at its heart to enable it to continue its management of forests on behalf of everyone in England
• the Forestry Commission and its management of forests are crucial to the achievement of the Trust’s core aim ‘to see birds of prey reaching their full potential as a vital and beautiful part of the UK environment’.

Explaining the Trustees’ strongly held views, Chairman Mrs Barbara Handley said:

The Forestry Commission and through it the forests it manages have an exceptional record for the conservation and protection of birds of prey. At a time when illegal persecution remains a critical problem on many estates, the Forestry Commission and its forests stand apart as the place where birds of prey are safe.

Read the full Hawk and Owl Trust position statement.

Gabriel Hemery