Ash Dieback: Council urging landowners to check their trees 

WILTSHIRE Council is urging landowners to quickly identify Ash trees found alongside main roads, public rights of way and public spaces. 

There are an estimated 100,000 trees found near roads and even more on the 6,000km of public trails found in the county. The council itself is facing an ordeal, with over 140,000 trees found on Wiltshire Council owned land.  

As a result of this, plans have been put together to devise a risk-based plan for monitoring the removal of unsafe trees, with potential rising costs of up to £10 million.  

The main threat from Ash dieback is the risk of weakened branches falling onto cars or pedestrians, as once a tree becomes infected it can die after two growing seasons.  

Ash dieback is a highly destructive fungal disease that leaves crops exposed, affects how carbon is exchanged throughout the atmosphere and can result in wildlife loss.  

Landowners are asked to report new cases to the forestry commission as well as being instructed to burn, bury or deep compost any fallen ash leaves as this disrupts the fungus’s lifestyle.  

Private landlords are encouraged to join the council in fighting biodiversity loss due to ash dieback by joining a range of local and national funding opportunities available including tree management and replacement.