Ash Dieback and its current and future impact on local authorities across the UK

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With so many local authorities planning to increase their tree cover to help mitigate the effect of climate change, the potential loss of up to 95% of the UK’s Ash trees will have significant impacts on attempts to increase tree cover and thereby reduce the ability to capture carbon emissions and mitigate against other harmful effects of climate change.

As well as the dire environmental effects, it has been estimated that the total costs of the disease to the UK could be over £5 billion, with some councils reporting expected cost running into tens of millions of pounds. Furthermore councils and landowners will need to address the  health and safety risks of diseased tree branches falling onto highways and pedestrians, then the final costs could be even higher.

Changing weather patterns caused by climate change are creating ideal conditions for pests and diseases, many of them new to our shores, to thrive. Ash Dieback could be just one of many new threats to our biodiversity  and consequently the lessons we learn from dealing with Ash Dieback may need to be transferable to future threats.

This seminar aims to look at not only the issue of dealing with Ash Dieback but also the techniques we need to develop to ensure the future resilience of our trees, and  to continue to gain the benefits in mitigating the effects of climate change, the opportunities for biodiversity and the being part of the UK’s landscapes so many of us value.

Download the slides here: 

‘Ash Tree Armageddon’
Wayne Priestley APSE Principal Advisor

Ash Dieback: How big is the issue?
Clarinda Burrell, Tree Health Policy Implementation Officer, Scottish Forestry

The Need for an Ash Dieback Plan
Jon Stokes, Director of Trees, Science & Research, Tree Council

An Innovative and Award-winning Risk Based Approach to Managing Ash Dieback.
Sophie Birchall-Rogerson, ADB Project Manager & Environmental Strategy Lead, Conwy County Borough Council.
 

The Tree Health Pilot Scheme – working to slow the spread of pests and diseases in England.
Elspeth Steel, Future Farming Tree Health Policy, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Offering hope for Britain’s Ash Trees - The Living Ash Project
Dr. Jo Clark, Head of Research, Future Trees Trust

Developing and implementing a tree resilience strategy to deal with ash tree loss
Rosie Cotgreave, Devon Wildlife Trust Project Lead for Saving Devon Treescapes, Devon Wildlife Trust