New legislation for tighter restrictions on oak imports came into force on Monday 15th July 2019. This Statutory Instrument builds on measures introduced in August 2018 and applies to all oak trees, except cork oak, over a certain size, defined as those with a girth over 8cm at 1.2m above the root collar.
Landowners, landscapers and tree nurseries are being urged to remain vigilant after the Plant Health Service intercepted findings of Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) caterpillars on trees recently imported from the continent, and are being asked to check recently planted oak trees.
A press release about the new legislation has been published on GOV.UK.
You may also find it useful to look at the national eAlert sent out by the Forestry Commission on 17 July, which includes some information on OPM.
Visit the Forest Research website for more information on how to identify OPM. To report sightings of pests and diseases, use the TreeAlert online portal.
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