I AM not at all surprised that English Nature is vandalising Wyre Forest in the name of conservation.

That they describe themselves as "conservationists" is a bitter irony.

The pearl-bordered fritillary is an important index species, but is still only one small cog in the overall ecosystem.

This wanton destruction of thousands of mature oak trees to ensure this butterfly's survival is at the expense of millions of individuals of scores - or hundreds - of other species.

No, the felling of valuable oaks has occurred for someone's financial gain.

On November 4, 1996, I wrote to Anthony Coombs, the former MP, about the piecemeal carving up and sale of areas of Wyre Forest.

His reply was somewhat devious, perhaps what you would expect from a politician, but it included the phrase "forestry management and its commercial viability" which filled me with foreboding.

It would be interesting to know the status of those areas of Wyre Forest at present being carved up, how much of Wyre Forest actually remains in the public domain, and how much as been "acquired" by Forest Enterprise.

Until March 20, 1997, (the date of Lord Lindsay's report to a further query), the Forestry Commission had sold a staggering 218,000 hectares of land.

Oh well, what can you expect from English Nature, the nature conservation governmental adviser which so willingly espouses the widespread planting of genetically modified organisms, a science as far removed from nature as Starship Enterprise from reality?

AW JORDAN

Comberton Park Road,

Kidderminster