MORE THAN one third of Scotland’s confirmed cases of ash dieback are in Tayside and Fife.
Since the outbreak first hit the news, cases of the disease, also known as Chalara fraxinea, have been found across the UK.
There have been 33 cases in Scotland, of which seven are in the Perth and Kinross area and five in Fife.
A spokesman for Forestry Commission Scotland said: “There are a good number of confirmed cases of chalara found in the Fife and Tayside area. The reason for this is simply due to the areas of land being relatively low lying compared to other parts of Scotland and this is where more broadleaves, such as ash, will have been planted in recent times.”
He continued: “There are already a number of measures in place to slow down the spread of chalara in Scotland however, we are focusing on the development of an action plan for Scotland with the help of the newly established Tree Health Advisory Group.”
“We should remember that the disease is not infectious just now, it is only during the summer months that the spores become active, so we have a window of opportunity now to get a good plan developed.
“If anyone has a concern over ash trees in their area, we would ask them to look at the
forestry.gov.uk/chalara
website, which has lots of practical help in identifying the disease and advice on reporting potential cases.”
The latest confirmed case was found at Leuchatsbeath Community Woodland in Cowdenbeath.
Although the woodland is open to the public, Fife Council urged visitors to do their bit to prevent further spread of the disease.
Mike Fuchs, operations manager for the council’s parks and countryside department, said: “It’s important to stress that if people are in the woodland, they should stick to the footpaths and avoid walking within the plantations.”
“We implemented government legislation earlier this year and are not importing any ash saplings. No ash trees have been planted since the guidance was issued and we are continuing to monitor our woodland area as part of routine maintenance.”
The Forestry Commission is investigating the possibility the disease arrived the UK by being carried over the North Sea on the wind or by birds, or was brought into the country on the clothes, footwear or vehicles of people visiting continental Europe.
arobertson@thecourier.co.uk