Grant support to aid woodlands hit by dieback disease

The funding, which would allow owners of woodland with recently planted ash trees affected by the disease to replant with an alternative tree species, was announced by DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill last week.

A spokesperson for Carrickfergus Borough Council confirmed the local authority would consider the proposals in relation to Whitehead’s Jubilee Wood and Bashfordsland Wood, where a total of 26,000 affected ash saplings were culled earlier this year.

“Owners of young woodland containing ash trees should remain vigilant for any symptoms of Chalara ash dieback and report suspect sightings to my Department,” the Minister said.

“To reduce the risk of the disease becoming established in our mature ash woodland and hedgerows, DARD will continue to require owners to destroy affected ash trees and associated debris. Forest Service will offer help to private woodland owners participating in a forestry grant scheme to carry out this work.

“To encourage woodland owners affected by the disease to replant, my Department will make grant support available to do so under the Woodland Environment Grant Scheme.”

The scheme will be operated by Forest Service and grant will be paid at 50 percent of competitively tendered approved reasonable costs to support eligible operations and verified by inspection and production of receipts. To build further resilience in woodland in response to the growing risk of tree disease, the scheme will require replanting to result in at least three tree species to form significant components of the woodland.

More information is available at www.dardni.gov.uk/index/forestry.htm