1. Ash Dieback Surveillance
Paul Gardiner Forest Service

2. 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

3. Current Surveillance Work
578 Sites Surveyed
127 Sampled
95 Forest Service Sites
14 Roadside Trees
13 Urban/Amenity Sites
4 Private Gardens
1 Nursery

4. 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)

9. Ash Dieback Chalara fraxinea
John Finlay
Plant Health & Horticulture Inspectorate
DARD Agri-food Inspection Branch

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. Ash Imports and Forestry Grant Schemes
Ben Searle Forest Service

17. Imports of ash wood and bark
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

18. 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”

19. 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

20. Ash Dieback Reporting and Awareness
Sharon Cabecinha
Plant Health and Horticulture Inspectorate
Agri-food Inspection Branch

21. Where to get information?

22. www.dardni.gov.uk/ash-dieback Links on this page to:
Legislation
Biosecurity guidance (for advice on working in forests/woods).
Questions and Answers

23. Information Page on Ash Dieback (Forestry Commission Website)
Confirmed findings 17th January 2013

24. Reporting Symptoms...

25. How you can help us Report suspicious sightings
Phone: Sharon Cabecinha
DARD Helpline

26. Tree Health Biosecurity Poster
Increasing awareness ...
Mountain Bike Poster
Tree Health Biosecurity Poster

27. Questions