From http://www.savelakelandsforests.org.uk/index.html:

The Government has now abandoned its consultation on selling off our forests and removed the key clauses from the Public Bodies Bill.

Nevertheless, the rally at Whinlatter Forest will still be going ahead at 1pm on Saturday 19th February.

Why? The rally will in part be a celebration of what we have all achieved. However, we still believe that there is a need to continue the pressure on the Government.

Ministers have not said that they plan to abandon the sale of 15% of Forestry Commission land over the next few years. We understand that this could mean as much as 30% to 40% of Lakeland's forests are sold off. So we are not out of the woods yet!

Speakers will include Sir Chris Bonington, Lord Clark of Windermere, Jack Ellerby from Friends of the Lake District and Keith Fitton who is one of the Lake District Osprey Project volunteers.

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

Looks like the goverment may abandon the plans to sell off the forests.

Please consider signing the other, far larger, online petition, http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests#petition, which has over half a million names so far.

There is also a rally to Save Lakeland's Forests at Whinlatter Forest next Saturday, 19th February. Speakers will include Sir Chris Bonington, Lord Clark of Windermere and Jack Ellerby from Friends of the Lake District. More details to follow soon at http://www.savelakelandsforests.org.uk. Judging by the similar rally recently held in Grizedale Forest, it will only take up an hour of your time.

We seem to won the first round, but the government have just shifted their proposals to the back burner and no doubt will try to sneak them through when the heat is off. So we must keep watching.

They are still planning to sell off the 15% allowed under current legislation. Register your disapproval here: all the Woodland Trust need is your email address.

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/campaigning/save-ancient-forests/Pages/fc-disposals-act-now.aspx?WT.mc_id=fc

We also have a thread going in LDWA Ideas forum, but this seems the more appropriate place.