Forest users urged to follow fungus containment advice

The TIMES reader fears cavalier attitudes to containment measures among visitors to Woodburn forest - including dog walkers who ignore signs warning them to keep their pets on a leash and the organisers of an alleged rave - could lead to the pythophthora ramorum fungus being transmitted to other areas.

The fungus has affected Japanese larch trees at Woodburn and two other locations in Northern Ireland. The species covers 2,500 hectares of publicly owned woodland, plus some privately owned forest.

“My son informed me that there was a rave up there at the weekend - I saw people arriving and leaving. How no one else saw it, I don’t know,” the resident said.

“I am concerned that there were kids there and there may have been drugs there, but there is also a question about the containment measures that are supposed to be in place. I am sure they did not wash their shoes afterwards.”

Young partygoers are not the only ones to be accused of acting irresponsibly, however.

“As well as this, the news last night showed the signage that is up there, saying that dogs must be kept on leads, then showed a couple walking through, reading the sign then taking the dog off the lead.”

While the forest remains open to the public, Forest Service advises visitors to stick to paths, keep dogs on leads, remove any soil or leaf litter from their clothing and wash footwear after their walk and not remove any plant matter.

However, rain, mists and air currents are said to be more likely than walkers to spread the infection and the agency has said it has has received no reports and seen no evidence of any large gathering in the forest.

The caller also questioned how much had been done to clear infected trees from the forest.

DARD said eight hectares have been cleared to date, with 160ha due to be cleared by May.

A spokesperson told the TIMES: “At this early stage it is difficult to estimate how long it will take to erradicate the disease, but it will be at least two years before most of the resting spores of the fungus become inactive.”