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

127 Sampled
95 Forest Service Sites
14 Roadside Trees
13 Urban/Amenity Sites
4 Private Gardens
1 Nursery

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)

Chalara 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)

Ben Searle
Forest Service

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

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 kilndrying 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

Sharon Cabecinha
Plant Health and Horticulture Inspectorate
Agri-food Inspection Branch

 www.dardni.gov.uk/ash-dieback

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

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

o Report suspicious sightings o Email: afib.planthealth@dardni.gov.uk
o Phone: Sharon Cabecinha 028 90 524990 o DARD Helpline 0300 200 7847

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