At present, England’s forests are managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Ministers however, are now proposing to reform ownership and management of the estate by selling off large quantities of woodland to the private sector in an attempt to help tackle the deficit.

Current proposals suggest the introduction of a ‘mixed model approach’ to future management. This strategy suggests selling the most commercially valuable forests to timber companies on a long lease. Additionally, the reform aims to create a far greater role for civil society, businesses, and individuals when it comes to managing the environment by allowing communities, charities, and local authorities to buy and manage forests themselves; an approach in-keeping with the coalition government’s commitments to shift the balance in power from ‘Big Government’ to ‘Big Society’.

Plans to sell off England’s forests have caused controversy over worries that privatisation will create opportunities for timber and tourism development industries to move in, compromising both wildlife conservation and public access. The Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman however reassured that ancient woodlands such as the Forest of Dean and New Forest will be exempt from sale to commercial organisations, and that biodiversity and public access would not be compromised as environmental safeguards and rights of way would be maintained where possible.

The governments approach to forestry will be outlined in the 2011 Natural Environment White Paper due to be published this spring. The current consultation is open for response until 21st April 2011 through both the Defra and Forestry Commission website. A debate concerning the matter will be held at the Houses of Parliament tomorrow afternoon, of which the proceedings will be broadcast online at www.parliamentlive.tv

David Cameron has now announced his new Cabinet, including the key environmental portfolios within the coalition government. Policies in this sector have caused significant disagreements between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in the past, most notably on nuclear energy which the liberals have consistently resisted. The new appointments reflect the apparent desire amongst both parties to govern in a constructive coalition.

This has been demonstrated by Cameron’s allocation of the weighty Energy and Climate Change brief to the Liberal Democrats’ former environment spokesman Chris Huhne. Huhne’s background in City makes him a practical choice given the big financial commitments a programme of low carbon energy expansion could demand. A new accord over the financial aspects of energy policy, such as the introduction of a low carbon infrastructure bank and green home loans, as well as agreements on the smart meters roll-out and marine energy will keep Huhne and his new department busy over the coming months. Huhne’s biography is available on the DECC website here.

At DEFRA Caroline Spelman has landed Hilary Benn’s former job as Environment, Food and Rural Affairs secretary. With a long farming background and published research on biofuels, Spelman starts the role on a firm footing, given she also took the brief in opposition. Spelman has said she will ‘work across government and beyond to respond to the challenges of increasing food production, adapting to climate change, protecting our natural environment and ensuring we live sustainably.’ See her biography on the DEFRA website here.

Another Conservative, Phillip Hammond MP, will take the transport brief, following his most recent portfolio in opposition as shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The prominent Liberal Democrat Vince Cable has been appointed Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, whilst the Conservative David Willetts will look after Universities and Science within DBIS, after shadowing the Universities and Skills minister in opposition. Further junior ministerial appointments are expected to be confirmed in the next few days as the Prime Minister fleshes out these departments with politicians from both parties.

Details of the agreements between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have been announced, outlining the coalition’s stance on several environmental topics.

A document on the Liberal Democrat’s website outlines measures seeking to fulfill “joint ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy”.

Measures include aims to encourage marine energy production and significantly increase energy production from waste, continue public sector investment in CCS technology and introduce emission standards for new coal-fired power stations, and promote green spaces and wildlife corridors to “halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity”.

Agreement has also been reached to allow continued Liberal Democrat opposite to new nuclear power plants, whilst permitting the government to “bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible”.

Further details on the arrangement can be found on the Liberal Democrat’s website.

Adam Afriyie MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Science and Innovation, joined policy officers and others at The Royal Academy of Engineering this afternoon at an event organised by PolicyNet. Mr Afriyie discussed the Conservative Party’s plans for Science and Engineering policy. A key message from the Shadow Minister was that his party believe that science is vitally important in helping to boost the economy and lift the country out of recession. He recognised the importance of long-term stable investment in science, which he said would be achieved through a ‘multi-year’ ring-fenced budget.

Although he emphasised that there are no plans for a major revolution in science policy, he mentioned several key areas in which the Conservatives plan to make changes. He spoke about how the Conservative Party plans to transform the UK into a European leader for high-tech exports (Britain is currently second in the EU, behind Germany). The science education system would be improved, by making studying triple science available to all students, and improving science teaching by repaying student loans of top graduates for every year they spend in the classroom. There are also plans to create a science literacy programme, open to all new MPs and compulsory for Conservative MPs, which would be run by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.

Adam Afriyie also mentioned that there would be a moratorium on the Research Excellence Framework for up to two years, until a full understanding of how best to measure impact is achieved, a plan which is likely to be welcomed by many scientists. However a perhaps less popular aspect of the Conservative’s plans was that Adam Afriyie gave the impression that his party did not see the importance of having a Science Minister in cabinet. In speaking on this point, Mr Afriyie suggested that more significant was that the Conservative Party, if successfully elected to Government, accepted the importance of science at the highest level of administration. Many in the science community will be disappointed that the Conservatives are not commited to giving science a seat at the Cabinet table.

In the coming weeks, science spokespeople from the other main political parties will be speaking at further events organised by PolicyNet. Meanwhile, each major political party will release its manifesto this week. Adam Afriye indicated that science would be included in the Conservative manifesto: the BES Policy Team will post more information here when it is available.

The Natural Capital Initiative has published an article for comment on the ‘Future Countryside’ website. Future Countryside has been established by the Shadow Environment Secretary, Conservative MP Nick Herbert, to debate new ideas in environment policy.

In the article members of the Natural Capital Initiative, a partnership between the Society of Biology, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the British Ecological Society, discuss whether movements towards valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services represent a paradigm shift amongst policy-makers and within the scientific community. Yet, say the NCI, policy is running far ahead of the ability to put an accurate ‘price’ on nature. The article calls for an approach which integrates monetary and other approaches to valuation as a way forward which reflects the true worth of society’s natural capital.

Have your say on the points raised in the article on the Future Countryside website.

The Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn MP, and Shadow Environment Secretary, Nick Herbert MP, will both address the Oxford Farming Conference today, setting out their respective parties’ policies with regard to food and farming.

Nick Herbert is due to announce that a Conservative government would establish a supermarket ombudsman to protect the interests of farmers against any abuse of power by large food retailers. The ombudsman would be created as a unit inside the Office of Fair traiding and would be funded by a levy on big supermarkets. Nick Herbert will say that the ombudsman will “curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interests of consumers… failure to do so could result in reduced investment by suppliers, lower product quality and less product choice, with potentially higher prices in the long run.”

Hilary Benn will launch the government’s ‘Food 2030′ report, setting out the government’s food strategy for the next 20 years. Mr Benn will use his speech to the conference to call for Britain to grown more food in different ways, to reduce the environmental impact of food production and farming and to provide food for the world’s growing population. Mr Benn will say that society “know(s) that the consequences of the way we produce and consume food are unsustainable to our planet and to ourselves” and that a consumer revolution can bring about change. “People power can bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold…(farming will) follow consumer demand for food that is local, healthy and has been produced with a smaller environmental footprint.”

In his foreword to the report, Prime Minister Gordon Brown says that Britain “need(s) to produce more food without damaging the natural resources – air, soil, water and marine resources, biodiversity and climate – that we all depend on.” Plans within the report include making it easier for people to lease land to grow their own fruit and vegetables, reducing long waiting lists for city allotments, and a ‘land bank’ to ensure that plots of land do not go empty.

Original sources: BBC News: Parties to unveil plans for supermarkets and food, Guardian: Britain must grow more sustainable food, says Benn and Guardian: Conservatives to create supermarket ombudsman to protect farmers

The Guardian today reports on the Conservatives’ plans for new ‘conservation banks’, from which developers would be asked to buy credits as a condition of being granted permission to build. The Conservatives would use the money generated to lead to the creation of new woodlands, wetlands and wildlife corridors.

Many wildlife groups have greeted the proposals, from shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert, with caution. There is concern that the plans could offer a license to developers to destroy habitats, with the promise of compensatory ecological benefits elsewhere. Groups are also worried that the scheme could mean the end of public funding for nature conservation and a reliance on markets and private investment.

The ‘conservation banks’ could be run by local communities, voluntary groups or companies. In an interview with the Guardian, Nick Herbert said that “the existing bureaucratic, regulatory approach has failed to halt biodiversity loss. We need radical new thinking to reverse the decline. Our natural ecosystems and the services they provide like carbon storage, water storage, habitat for wildlife are worth billions of pounds. We have to find a way to unlock this value”. He stressed that the scheme would not weaken existing protection for endangered species or sites.

Original article: Tories reveal plams for conservation banks, 16 November