The Environment Secretary launches first Tree Health Resilience Strategy to protect England’s trees from pests and diseases for generations to come. The Tree Health Resilience Strategy, the first major publication to come out of the 25-Year Environment Plan, sets out a new proactive approach to tree health, with landowners, charities, the public and government working together to take actions to build resilience against pests and diseases to protect the nation’s trees – worth an estimated £175billion. As part of this approach, a new senior cross-industry Plant Health Alliance to strengthen biosecurity practices across industry has been established. The Alliance brings together the country’s leading nurseries, retailers, tree suppliers, landscapers, foresters, the RHS and Defra to ensure an effective response to threats such as Xylella and Emerald Ash Borer. The Strategy also includes:
- Launching the ‘Don’t Risk It’ campaign this summer to raise awareness of the risks of bringing back plant materials from holiday destinations
- Consulting with industry on contingency plans for key threats to our trees and plants to ensure a swift and effective response should new pests and diseases enter the UK
- Strengthening protection against Xylella – maintaining continuous scrutiny of the risk situation and taking measures to maintain the strongest possible controls
- Building knowledge and awareness of threats to trees to ensure accurate and up to date information
- Working in partnership with the sector to drive up biosecurity standards through assurance and safe sourcing
- Exploring strengthening of public procurement strategies to specify safe sourcing, and
- Reviewing passenger baggage allowance for regulated plant material to assess whether it should be discontinued.
