Tree health and plant biosecurity

Written evidence submitted by the Institute of Chartered Foresters

Introduction

1. The Institute of Chartered Foresters is the Royal Chartered body for forestry and ar-boricultural professionals in the UK. Our members practice in every branch of for-estry and arboriculture relating to forests, woodlands and trees. We provide services to members including support and promotion of the work of foresters and arboricul-turists; information and guidance to the public and industry; and training and educa-tional advice to students and professionals looking to build upon their experience. We also regulate the standards of entry to the profession and offer examinations for professional qualifications. We are regulated by our Royal Charter and maintain a Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct for all members.

Summary

2. The ICF welcomes his important inquiry and would like to stress three points, which are elaborated further in this submission:

• the need for urgent and effective implementation of the recommendations of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce;

• the need to increase funding for research into tree health and plant biosecurity;

• the need to reinforce links between the research community and those responsible for both policy development and the implementation of forestry practice on the ground. The ICF believes that it can play a valuable role in helping to make this happen

Implementing the recommendations of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce

3. While the decision to convene the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce was taken in the context of the high profile threat to ash from Chalara, its importance goes much wider than this. For a variety reasons - associated for example with greater international movement of plant materials and associated pathogens, as well as climate change – there appears to be an exponential increase in the tree health threats we are facing in the UK. The problems of Phytophthora ramorum on larch and Dothistroma Needle Blight on pine are well documented. Other pathogens of concern that are relatively newly arrived in the UK include a range of other Phytophthoras, including P. lateralis on Lawson cypress and related species, P. austrocedrae on juniper, P. alni on alder and P. kernoviae; oak processionary moth; acute oak decline; oak pinhole borer; the great spruce bark beetle; the western conifer seed bug; and the Gypsy Moth. Meanwhile, potential threats present in the EU include the 8-toothed Europe Spruce Bark Beetle, the Citrus Longhorned Beetle, the Asian Longhorned Beetle, the Pine Processionary Moth, the Pine Wood Nematode, Pine Pitch Canker, Brown Spot Needle Blight, Chestnut Blight, the Zigzag Elm Sawfly, the Red Oak Borer and the Redneck Longhorn Beetle. In addition, there are other threats globally such as the Emarald Ash Borer, the Spruce Budworm, the Bronze Birch Borer, and Oak Wilt.

4. In the light of these threats, we are pleased that - as recommended by the Task Force - work is now underway to develop a prioritised UK Plant Health Risk Register, based on the best available epidemiological evidence; and to improve governance arrangements to provide strategic and tactical leadership for managing these risks, as well as developing contingency plans. We also welcome proposals to strengthen biosecurity to reduce risks at the border and within the UK.

5. The Task Force also highlighted the need to develop a modern, user-friendly, system to provide quick and intelligent access to information about tree health and plant biosecurity, and to address key skills shortages. These important recommendations should not be overlooked or sidelined. The Task Force itself noted with concern that "there has been an erosion of capability, in the UK and internationally, to deal with some aspects of tree and other plant pests and disease". It said that while some issues can be addressed with the existing skills base, others require a longer-term strategic review involving the Research Councils, Higher and Further Education Institutions, and Government. As members of the Committee will know, a key point here is of course the need to increase funding for research into tree health and plant biosecurity.

The need to increase funding for research into tree health and plant biosecurity

6. Evidence provided by Defra to the Committee [1] gives details of funds spent by Defra and FC over the past 5 years on plant health research, and that planned up to 2014/15. It appears from this that the total spending by Defra and the Forestry Commission on Plant Health and Plant Biosecurity is around £5 million per year. We understand that a further £2m will be allocated under the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan 2015/16, and that this has attracted additional funding of up to £4m from research councils under the Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) initiative.

7. While we fully appreciate the pressure on all public funding, we would argue that research expenditure on tree health remains very low when compared with the potential costs of addressing tree health problems: for example, in its latest Spending review, the Scottish Government had to allocate an additional £1 million for 2014/15 to cover the tree health issues associated with one pathogen (Phytophthora ramorum) on one species (larch) in one part of the UK [2] .

8. To put research funding on tree health and plant biosecurity in another context, we understand that the total UK Science and Research funding is around £4.5 billion per year [3] . This suggests that at present tree health and plant biosecurity attracts only about 0.1% of the UK’s total science budget.

Reinforcing links between research, policy development and forestry practice

9. While the Forestry Commission has a strong tradition of knowledge exchange between its scientists, policy advisers and practitioners, this is based very largely on informal networks. Looking ahead, and given the scale of the problems we are now facing, this needs to be developed – and also to reach out, for example, into the arboricultural and nursery sectors as well as the traditional forestry sector.

10. The ICF has been pleased to be represented on the Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group, chaired by Forestry Commission Scotland. This brings together scientists, policy advisers (dealing with tree health, agricultural pests and diseases and the impact of plant health problems on natural ecosystems); foresters, arboriculturalists and nurseries. In addition to helping develop the Scottish Action Plans for Chalara, Phytophthora ramorum and Dothistroma Needle Blight, we have worked with other members of the Group to develop new ideas for reinforcing links. In particular, we are pleased that the Group is now seriously considering the idea of developing a Centre of Expertise. This could help address the knowledge gaps identified by the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce in epidemiology, surveying and surveillance, detection, mitigation and adaptation strategies, social science, trade patterns, and environmental change. Building on the model of existing research Centres of Expertise in Scotland it would also connect research, policy and practice by delivering and effectively communicating objective and robust research and expert opinion. While the Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group only operates in Scotland, we consider that such an approach could usefully be considered on a UK-wide scale, where it could also provide a vehicle for effective and efficient dissemination of relevant information and result from international research.

11. Another idea that is being promoted by our representative on the Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group is that consideration be given to a nursery labelling or assurance scheme. The purpose of such a scheme would be to give customers reliable information about the genetic origins of the plants they are buying; critically, about where these plants have been grown; and about the acceptability of biosecurity standards in the nurseries where they have grown. We understand that further discussions are taking place about considering such a scheme on a UK-wide basis, and would welcome this.

12. The ICF is also pleased to be represented on the Forestry Commission's newly established Expert Committee on Forest Science, through its President as committee chair as well as through some of the committee's members. As the UK's professional forestry and arboriculture body ICF not only welcomes such involvements but considers them essential as bridging and linking research, policy and practice which professionals on the ground have to deliver.

13. Finally, we would mention that we have identified Tree Health as the topic for the ICF National Conference in Spring 2015 (to be held in Cardiff). This will provide a major opportunity to bring our members (both foresters and arboriculturists) into contact with key researchers, policy makers and those dealing with tree health and plant biosecurity problems in other parts of the world.

November 2013