GUARDIANS of the New Forest have praised the contribution made by the Forestry Commission’s top officer in the area.
Mike Seddon deputy surveyor of the Forest since 2003, is leaving to become the Commission’s director of operations for England.
His role in protecting the traditional landscape was praised at the monthly Court of Verderers in Lyndhurst yesterday.
The Official Verderer, Dominic May, said: “Under the New Forest Acts the Forestry Commission has to ask for the consent of the Verderers for many of its day-to-day activities.
“Despite this being very inconvenient for the Forestry Commission, and certainly annoying when we have refused consent, Mike has respected the sovereignty of the Acts.
“In fact, during the recent restructuring of the public forest estate nationally, Mike has helped us maintain the Acts as the over-arching governance for the New Forest.
“He’s been very helpful to me personally with his intimate knowledge of the working of central government and Whitehall.”
The new deputy surveyor is Bruce Rothnie.
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