Updates from Government regarding Oak Processionary Moth and Ips Typographus
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has provided further clarity to the Association following last weeks technical articles supporting their announcements to changes on Oak Processionary Moth and Ips Typographus policies.
Oak Processionary Moth
Any professional operator (including landscapers) moving large oaks records information, the information DEFRA require is set out in spreadsheet format on GOV UK. DEFRA produced the spreadsheet so there is no doubt for Professional operators what information DEFRA asking them to record. DEFRA don’t require that the Professional operators then carry out post planting inspections themselves. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) conduct annual post planting inspections of a sample of different plants and trees, how large a sample is inspected is based on the risk level, so in this case low risk movements within the established area only wouldn’t be as frequently inspected.
APHA ask for operators to collect this data and to return the data annually to then generate a sample to go out and conduct post planting inspections on. Members can also ask their plant health inspector if they have any queries regarding sending in returns data too. Plant health inspectors will be aware when APHA are asking for returns because of their shared internal comms on this. For large oaks this is to ensure there’s no risk of OPM having been moved to a new location through movement and planting of the oak trees. And if they do have an outbreak, APHA have got data for traceability of movements.
- Movement restrictions* on where large oak trees can be moved to and from in these areas.
- No movement of large oaks from the Established Area to the Buffer Zone;
- No movement from the Buffer zone or Established Area to a 10km exclusion zone at the outer edge of the Buffer Zone;
- No movement into the Area Free from the Pest from the Established Area or the Buffer Zone, unless those trees have been grown throughout the entirety of their life under complete physical protection from OPM.
- Biosecurity requirements* will apply to anyone who holds large oak trees for more than 48 hours before they are moved to final planting site.
- Professional operators must keep records of the dates of movement and destination of large oak trees, as well as the tree species and size and the identity and contact details of the recipient.
- Professional operators must notify recipients of large oak trees at their final destination that official planting inspections for OPM may be carried out by a plant health inspector.
Supporting material
Full details on the movement restrictions and the biosecurity requirements can be found at Managing Oak Processionary Moth GOV.UK guidance.
- If you are holding large oak trees for more than 48 hours, you must contact your local Plant Health Inspector or contact the APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate to discuss how the changes will affect you.
Any findings of OPM in the Buffer Zone or Area Free from the Pest should be reported to Tree Alert or to the APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate.
Previous Technical Article from the Association
Ips Typographus
Restrictions are in place on the movement and felling of spruce material, as well as on the planting of spruce trees. These are detailed in the demarcated area Notice available on GOV.UK.
The Notice includes the following conditions:
(i) Restrictions on the felling of susceptible material without prior notification. Landowners must provide notice of their intention to fell relevant material at least 14 days in advance of any felling in the demarcated areas. Felling may only commence once written authorisation is provided the Forestry Commission.
(ii) Restrictions on the killing of trees (either by ring-barking, chemical injection or application, mechanical means, biological control or arboricultural intervention) of the genus Picea A. Dietr over three meters in height, without prior notification. All operations must be agreed in writing by the Forestry Commission.
(iii) Prohibition on susceptible material being left in situ, unless authorised in writing by a plant health inspector.
(iv) Prohibition on the movement of spruce (Picea) material with bark (for example, wood with bark, isolated bark, live trees over 3 metres) that has originated within the demarcated area.
(v) Prohibition on planting spruce (Picea A. Dietr) within the demarcated area unless exempt as detailed within the notice or authorised by either the Forestry Commission or the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This prohibition applies to any trees grown in the ground or within planting containers.
Any notices will be published on the GOV.UK website.
Exemptions from the prohibition on planting spruce are in place under the specified circumstances listed within the Notice. These include exemptions for dwarf varieties of spruce, planting spruce for ornamental or scientific purposes, as well as for the purpose of trade at nursery sites and for the purpose of trade in Christmas trees. Full details of these exemptions are detailed within the Notice.
An explainer infographic is available providing guidance for the different industry audience groups.
Processing of spruce material which has originated in the demarcated area may only be undertaken at premises authorised by the Forestry Commission to receive this material.
Provision is made to enable plant health inspectors to authorise movements and processing of spruce material with bark from the demarcated area where this can be achieved without risking the spread of Ips Typographus.
Non-spruce conifer timber that is bark-free is not subject to the same movement restrictions, so it can be moved and processed without need for inspection or authorisation.
A quick and easy visual guide on the movement restrictions of spruce trees originating within the Demarcated Area is available here.
For further information on how you can apply for an authorisation to plant, fell, stack, transport or process trees within the Ips Typographus demarcated area: apply for Ips Typographus authorisation.
What is the demarcated area?
A demarcated area is a defined section of land with established boundaries within which biosecurity measures are introduced to eradicate or contain a regulated plant pest.
To protect the country against Ips Typographus, under powers conferred by The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, the Forestry Commission have implemented a demarcated area around confirmed outbreak sites of Ips Typographus, restricting the planting, movement and felling of spruce material capable of spreading the pest.
The demarcated area covers parts of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, City and County of the City of London, Greater London, East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent and Essex within the boundaries shown in the demarcated area and within the Notice, which also contains a description of the boundary.
Exemptions
Circumstances which may be exempt include;
- Planting of spruce varieties or cultivars that do not reach over 3 metres at full maturity.
- Planting of spruce trees for ornamental or scientific purposes, such as within residential gardens provided there are no more than 5 spruce trees per hectare.
- Planting of spruce trees for the purpose of trade at nursery sites is permitted.
- Planting of spruce trees for the purpose of trade in Christmas trees, provided the trees do not exceed 3 metres in height above the root collar.
- Full details of these exemptions are detailed within the Notice.
This prohibition applies to any trees grown in the ground or within planting containers.
Supporting Material
Government Guidance: Eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips Typographus)
