Teesmouth Bird Club

I agree with Alan, the signing of any petition is very much a personal choice, driven by whether you feel passionately or not about the subject. The number crunching game should have no bearing on whether you sign.

Noelg – It is a shame that you have yet again taken to trying to antagonise people with the argumentative nature of your posts. In addition to this, you seem to now be using the forum to air personal grievances from years gone by which I feel is inappropriate. It would surely be more beneficial to help people who are new to the club understand what impact loosing our local forests such as Guisborough will have on scarce breeding birds like Crossbill and Nightjar as Alisdair has articulated in his post. If you do reply, please don't tell me to check my local history, I have been birding in this area for over 25 years and I am well aware of our heritage and how the birding sites across Cleveland have been developed over the years.   

Noel G
I do not understand how you can say it is worthless for 200000+ to sign a petition when your brother and a few others made such a difference to CBWP. Good job he did not share your tedious negativity. I know very little of the 'history' but I do not know why your brother's achievements entitle YOU to be rude and ignorant.

it's a no brainer really. can't see why anyone wouldn't sign the petition, given how easy it is to do online. certainly you have to question the wisdom of suggesting that as part of the big society we all need to club together and raise money to buy forests, to stop loggers chopping them all down.

basically they want us to buy something we already own, and to pay for the upkeep, charge ourselves a fiver a pop (plus 20% vat ) to visit it, rather than getting in for nothing like we do now.

lobbying worked in 1985 when thatcher tried to do exactly what the current coalition are proposing. given the relatively small amount the sell-off will raise, do cameron and co really want to upset half a million people, many of whom will be traditionally sympathetic to the tory/liberal parties in marginal rural constituencies ?

thatcher was wise enough to back down, and there is every chance the coalition will do likewise.

Once again I finally got this forum to discuss something whether my views are accepted or not doesn't matter the fact that you have replied is all that matters.

I am at a total loss to understand your your negative attitude towards this issue Noel and without sounding to impolite if you have nothing constructive to add then please leave those people who do care to get on making an effort in saving our forests, if we succeed in gaining any concessions then will you not use the forests or will you continue to use other peoples efforts to have a day out in the woods?

Hi Alan

I totally agree, if you take the time to check previous threads, Noelg seems unable to contribute to our forum without resorting to antagonistic postings. He seems to be quite pleased with himself in the fact that he has finally got other people contributing to the forum but what he fails to realise is that they are discussing his inappropriate behaviour rather than the matter in hand which is the plight of our wooded areas and Alisdair's sensible request to get as many people to sign the petition as possible.

Noelg – if you do not have anything constructive to say regarding this or other issues, it would probably best if you refrained from posting on emotive subjects.

Well the petition is up to 355512 now. Support seems to be growing by the day.

Hi Col D so my posts re Armistice day, Christmas, Aldi Telescopes, odd fish in Greatham Creek, Dipper at Weardale, Little Egrets ,Usage of Forum, Heron nest, Autumn geese, North East Tyne Tees News have been antagonistic. With all due respect Noel

Noel
The tone of your last email proves my point. I  have suggested that you refrain from posting on emotive subject and 'issues', I would hardly consider Dippers in Weardale emotive or an issue. Many of your posts appear to serve no real purpose and do not add to the debate, they simply detract from the real subject which many of our members wish to discuss in a reasoned and polite manner. The working groups responsible for the development of Guisborough forest and their creative management program means that this beautiful area of woodland has been re-colonised by Nightjars which are now able to survive happily alongside the many different recreational groups that enjoy the forest. Do you really believe that this is not worth trying to save? No due respect - Col D

Members may be interested to know that, as Chair of the Club's Conservation Sub-Committee, I received a letter from the Forestry Commission dated 28th January 2011 asking TBC to submit its views on the future ownership and management of the public forest estates in England.  The Conservation Sub-Committee will, of course, submit a response, so if any members have a valid point to make for or against the proposed changes, then please email me at: ecparker@supanet.com  and I will do my best to incorporate these as far as possible.  That said, the TBC's response will be against the proposed changes in forest ownership.  This plan has been poorly thought through by the Government and the reasons for it remain very unclear.  Indeed, on 'Question Time' on BBC1 on 3rd February, it was evident that the Immigration Minister, Damian Green, could not put forward a logical argument to support his Government's stance, saying that the issue is not about raising money but removing the Forestry Commissions "monopoly" of forest management.  The audience in Workington were overwhelmingly opposed to the plan.

We have been requested to complete Defra's consultation document on its website at:  http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/index.htm
I would urge people to sign the petition mentioned on this Forum, as the Government will have to take note if there is huge public antithesis towards its proposals. These plans could be modified or even shelved if there is enough public opposition.

Up to 457500 signatures on the 38 degrees petition now.  I was disappointed to hear that my MP Anne McIntosh has supported the sale of the forests.  The same is true of Greg Knight the MP whose constituency includes Flamborough, so sites like Old Fall, South Landing etc. will also be under threat.

On behalf of the club, I wrote to the new young conservative MP for Stockton South, James Wharton. His response was, in summary we are aware of concerns; there will be safeguards to preserve the access, conservation and biodiversity and he will support the government stance unless unless he finds out to the contrary. No word as to how much will be saved IN THE LONG TERM from getting rid of our heritage. There were no details as to how things were to be safeguarded  - just a bland re-assurance. So that's alright then?
Alistair McLee

As well as writing to our local MP, I wrote on behalf of the club to Caroline Spelman, head of DEFRA. Today I received the now customary pat reply, which I shall not bore you with re iterating here. It did stress the government questionaire which detailed a variety of options which were for consideration, but nowhere does it have the key question "Do you want ANY changes"? I thought it would have been abundantly clear to her by now by the simple process of weighing her in tray every 10 minutes or noting the responses on the petition site " 38 degrees". There are virtually half a million on it at this moment. I gather orchestrated government leaks are now suggesting that the scheme will be modified - this is often a precursor to a U-turn in policies as I recall. Let us hope so.
Alistair McLee

Looks like petitions do work; the government are having a rethink.

                                                Ben.

As Ben says, now we need to wait until Friday, until then keep signing and fingers crossed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12488847