Coverage of National Trust press release on ash dieback

Coverage of National Trust press release on ash dieback

Written by Defra Press Office

There is coverage in the Daily Telegraph, Guardian, BBC News, i, Times, and Daily Mail of a National Trust press release outlining pressures they have faced this year in managing the spread of ash dieback, citing resource drain as a result of climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

Since 2012, the Government has invested more than £6 million into ash dieback research. We continue to work closely with landowners and local authorities to ensure a coordinated approach to tackling the disease.

A Defra spokesperson said:

Ash dieback is a devastating disease which damages our native ash trees. We have some of the most stringent controls in Europe and have invested more than £6 million since 2012 into ash dieback research.

Earlier this year we planted the UK’s first Ash Archive to identify ash with a high tolerance to the disease - a major step towards maintaining and restoring ash in the British landscape for future generations.

The UK’s first Ash Archive was established earlier this year using £1.9 million of government funding and is the culmination of projects spanning 5 years to identify ash with a high tolerance to the disease.

The Ash Archive initiative is a major step towards maintaining and restoring ash in the British landscape. Three thousand trees were planted in Hampshire as part of the pioneering project to tackle Ash Dieback.

This year is the year of International Year of Plant Health – a global initiative to raise awareness on the importance of healthy plants and trees to protecting nature, the environment and boosting economic development.

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