Ash Dieback Surveillance

Paul Gardiner

Forest Service

Overall Survey

800 Sites Surveyed

222 From Initial Survey

578 From Current Surveillance Work

418 Forest Service Sites

81 Urban/Amenity Planting

45 Roadside Planting

16 Public Plantations

10 Private Gardens

7 Hedgerow/Farm Planting

1 Nursery

Current Surveillance Work

578 Sites Surveyed127 Sampled

95 Forest Service Sites

14 Roadside Trees

13 Urban/Amenity Sites

4 Private Gardens

1 Nursery

Survey Work

Survey carried out by trained inspector using handheld GPS device

GPS device captures:

Site location

Survey data

Site type (forest, amenity etc.)

Sign or symptoms of disease

Whether a site was sampled

Sample location (if necessary)

Ash DiebackChalara fraxinea

John Finlay

Plant Health & Horticulture Inspectorate

DARD Agri-food Inspection Branch

Ash Dieback in Northern Ireland

•First outbreaks confirmed in NI in Mid-November 2012 on recently planted ash (11/12) at five sites.

•General surveillance continuing and trace forward work

•Recently planted woodland – 22 outbreak sites (14 from trace forward)

•Amenity/Roadside Plantings – 2 sites

•Nursery/trade findings -2

Action on Confirmation of Infection

•Statutory Plant Health Notice Issued

•Two main purposes:

– Containment of disease on site

– Eradication of disease on site

• No movement of plant material/soil off infected site

• Requirement to destroy infected ash

• Biosecurity requirements to be implemented

• No replanting with ash at site

Action on confirmation of infection (continued)

•Removal of plants including roots, and leaves

•Disposal by deep burial / incineration

•Forest Service has provided assistance to landowners in the removal /disposal process.

•Ongoing monitoring of surrounding area (buffer surveys)

•Trace back / forward – further inspections/surveillance

Ash Dieback Legislation – Plants

The Plant Health (Amendment No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012

came into force 26 October 2012

Ash imported/moved must come from a pest free area (currently none established)

Effective ban on imports/movement of ash plants (&seeds) for planting

Intra-EU trade in ash will require plant passports

Ash Dieback – DARD Actions

Implementation of Legislation

•Surveillance for pathogen in production/trade/plantings

•Outbreak containment/eradication

-Required for any case to establish a Pest Free Area

•Registration/inspection of businesses to allow plant passporting of ash

•Inspections of passported material

Plant Passport

•Plant material which hosts the most serious (“quarantine”) pests and diseases requires a plant passport to facilitate its movement within the EU.

•Certification by grower/trader that plants are free from quarantine pests/diseases

•Consists of a label or label/delivery note, invoice with certain information:

– The phrase “EC Plant Passport”– Country code eg, UK/NI, NL– Business registration number– Serial, week or batch number– Botanical name of plants– Quantity of plants– ZP code if needed (protected zone)

Ash Imports and Forestry Grant Schemes

Ben Searle

Forest Service

• After consulting stakeholders we found that there are regular imports of ash logs for manufacturing purposes, mainly hurley sticks, and for fire wood • As a potential pathway for the disease, it is an unacceptable risk

• The Plant Health (Wood & Bark) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 was made

Imports of ash wood and bark

Landing Conditions• The wood shall ;

(a) be accompanied by an official statement that it originates in an area or areas known to be free from Chalara fraxinea or

(b) be squared so as to remove entirely the rounded surface; or

(c) be bark-free and the water content is less than 20% expressed as a percentage of the dry matter; or

(d) if sawn, with or without residual bark attached, have undergone kiln-drying, to below 20% moisture content, expressed as a percentage of dry matter, achieved through an appropriate time / temperature schedule, and there shall be evidence of that kiln-drying by a mark “Kiln dried” or “KD” or another internationally recognised mark, put on the wood or on any wrapping in accordance with current usage”

Forestry Grant Scheme

•Temporary suspension of grant aid for new ash planting from 6 December 2012

• Other species can be substituted. This needs to be done in agreement with Forest Service.

• New planting agreements have been prepared without an ash component

•Forest Service is currently preparing advice on what additional support may be made available to assist landowners to replant trees following compliance with a statutory plant health notice

Ash DiebackReporting and Awareness

Sharon Cabecinha

Plant Health and Horticulture Inspectorate

Agri-food Inspection Branch

Where to get information?www.dardni.gov.uk/ash-dieback

www.dardni.gov.uk/ash-dieback

Links on this page to:oLegislation

oBiosecurity guidance (for advice on working in forests/woods).

oQuestions and Answers

Information Page on Ash Dieback (Forestry Commission Website)

Confirmed findings 17th January 2013

Reporting Symptoms...

How you can help us

o Report suspicious sightings

o Email: afib.planthealth@dardni.gov.uk

o Phone: Sharon Cabecinha 028 90 524990

o DARD Helpline 0300 200 7847

Increasing awareness ...

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Questions