Our Soil, Our Voice: Why the Forest of Dean Isn’t a “Project” to be Managed
There is a pot of tea on the stove and the door is always unlatched. To those who have recently chosen to call these trees home: Welcome.
We value the fresh energy and the new ideas you bring. This Forest is built on the strength of its people, and there is a seat at the table for anyone who wants to build a future here. But as we sit at that table, there is a vital distinction that needs to be understood by those currently holding the pens and the power:
The Forest of Dean is a living, working landscape with a heartbeat made of centuries-old tradition.
Lately, we have seen an influx of "experts" and decision-makers—many of whom didn't grow up with this soil under their fingernails—attempting to dictate the terms of our heritage. Specifically, the push for Biosphere Reserve status has arrived with a startling lack of real, grassroots consultation.
While the Green Party and various administrative bodies project a record of "engagement," many on the ground feel the sting of being talked at, rather than listened to.
We are being told how to feel about our own land and how best to "protect" a Forest we have already spent generations defending.
We are not alone in our scepticism. Just last month, Glastonbury Town Council was forced to pause its pursuit of a UNESCO-linked status after a massive community backlash. In Glastonbury, residents signed a petition fearing that such a designation would "commodify and homogenise" their town, turning a spiritual and organic community into a "brand" for overtourism. Their council admitted that they had failed to bring the community with them and that the "information that was and wasn't out there" had caused deep distrust.
We see the same patterns emerging here: a push for international branding at the expense of local identity. Identity isn't a policy memo. Our culture wasn't handed to us by a modern political movement. It was forged in the mines, protected by the Verderers, and lived by generations of Foresters. From the unique rights of the Freeminers to our deep-rooted traditions, this place has always known how to balance industry with a fierce, protective love for the landscape.
Green councillors ( including Forest of Dean Councillors )on Gloucestershire County Council actively sought to end coal extraction in the Forest of Dean by proposing a motion in March 2025 to align the county with the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. During the debate, Green members tried to oppose amendments designed to protect the ancient, legal rights of freeminers, arguing that the climate emergency required a total phase-out of fossil fuels regardless of local tradition. While some councillors suggested that freemining heritage could be preserved through education rather than active mining, suggesting that Forest Coal should be mined but not burnt, their efforts to include freemining in the broader coal ban were ultimately defeated when the council voted to maintain the historic exemption.
These are the same Councillors telling us not to worry about our heritage.
The Forest of Dean community has survived royal decrees, industrial revolutions, and world wars. We've kept this Forest thriving on our own terms long before certain political parties were even a thought.
Our identity is passed down through blood and bone.
To those in positions of power who believe they know what we need better than we do:
Respect the past that made us. When we question the Biosphere designation, do not tell us we "don't understand." We understand better than anyone that the Forest isn't a "project" to be managed—it is a way of life.
You are welcome to walk beside us and work with us, but you are not here to direct us.
Following the lead of communities like Glastonbury, we are supporting the call for an immediate pause on the Biosphere application until a genuine, transparent, and respectful dialogue takes place.
Click on the link below to sign the online petition and demand that the application process be halted until the voices of the Forest are truly heard.
Embrace our history, respect our pride, and you'll find the most loyal community on earth. Just remember: we'll listen to your input, but we won't take orders on our own identity.
This isn't about those of us who were born and bred here, knowing better and caring more than those who have chosen to live here, but it is about local people's views taking precedent over recent council policy or political ideology.