The Government plans to force the Forestry Commission to sell off all the woodlands they own and manage in the Lake District, Cumbria and across England.

If, like Friends of the Lake District, you love woodlands and enjoy walking or riding in local Forestry Commission woods, now is the time to stand up and join our campaign to ‘Stop The Sell Off'!

Why all the public woodlands shouldn't be sold off in the Lake District and Cumbria:

· Public Access - The Forestry Commission give us free access to walk or run, orienteer, climb, cycle, horse ride, bird watch, picnic and simply chill out in their woodlands. There are no guarantees that any public access, except to walk will be kept after the woods are sold off.

· Beautiful Woods Rich In Wildlife - in the Lake District and Cumbria the Forestry Commission have restored hundreds of hectares of ancient and native woodlands, while many privately owned woodlands stand neglected and unmanaged.

· Natural Healthcare - hundreds of thousands of people take exercise in the Lake District's woodlands each year. Visiting woods makes people feel happier and healthier, saving NHS costs to the taxpayer. Once public access is denied this huge benefit could be lost.

· Sustainably Grown Timber - all of the Forestry Commission's woodlands are carefully managed to protect the environment (like the soil and water) and to enhance the landscape and wildlife habitats, while at the same time ensuring a continuous supply of good quality timber.

· Carbon Storage - Climate change has caused dramatic storm damage in Cumbria in the last few years. The Forestry Commission's large-scale tree planting and growing, and their work restoring open areas of peat bogs, locks away millions of tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Tree roots stop land from being washed away into rivers and lakes in times of heavy rain, preventing erosion and reducing the effects of flooding on the land, properties and on people.

· Economy and Jobs - the negative publicity of closing down public access could significantly hit the tourism economy as people are put off from coming to the Lake District National Park. Many local forestry jobs are linked to the Forestry Commission's ability to keep continuous supplies of timber coming to market. Supplies from the private sector are less certain in response to fluctuations in market prices.

Support the 'STOP THE SELL OFF' Campaign JOIN Friends of the Lake District today. Can you display a poster or distribute leaflets? Click to download and print the poster and leaflet.

Join the protest 1500 people attended the protest in Grizedale forest on Sunday 30 January. The next rally will be at Whinlatter on Saturday 19 February, and speakers will include our vice president Christ Bonington. More information soon. See also http://www.savelakelandsforests.org.uk. 
 
Watch Countryfile, BBC1, our policy officer Jack Ellerby appeared on Sunday 30th January, talking about why the Government shouldn't be selling off our forests.

Sign the petition if you haven't already, organised by 38 degrees. Over 300,000 people have already signed it.

Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our enewsletter for the latest news about the campaign.

What else you can do to help

We are encouraging as many people as possible to write to a member of House of Lords about the Public Bodies Reform Bill. They could be our best chance to get the bill amended.

You can also email the Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , write to your MP and your local paper.

Contact Jack Ellerby at Friends of the Lake District to find out the latest situation and what else can be done to help ‘Stop the Sell Off'. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or phone: 01539 720788.

Friends of the Lake District is a conservation charity dedicated to protecting Cumbria's amazing landscapes for the future. We own 6 pieces of land in Cumbria, including 3 woodlands, which we manage for conservation and which all have free public access. We hold regular volunteer days on our land. We also run events and an education programme to help people learn about the uplands habitats and wildlife, as well as other campaigning and project work.