Phytophthora ramorum - The Food and Environment Research ...

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8. Dealing with enquiries, garden visitors and public access Visitors to parks and gardens need to be dealt with carefully as regards managing information, particularly where a disease outbreak has been confirmed. In some situations, it may be appropriate to handle the matter quietly and without undue publicity. For example, if an outbreak is confirmed in an isolated location away from everyday public access, it may be preferable to simply cordon off the area whilst the necessary control measures are implemented. Visitors are, however, a potential source of disease spread and in some situations, it may be more appropriate to inform the public about the disease. For example, if they are considered to be a potentially significant source of disease spread or, where a disease outbreak has occurred in a highly visible part of the garden, it may also be good policy to make the public aware that the necessary legislation has been complied with and advise them of the steps that have been taken to minimise risk. This highlights the role they can play in protecting the wider environment from further disease spread. Each situation will need to be assessed on its own merits before such policy decisions are taken. A sensitive balance needs to be struck between encouraging public access for garden enjoyment, conservation, leisure and education purposes and restricting the movement of garden visitors, where necessary, in the interests of disease control. Defra and the Forestry Commission do not generally release the names and addresses of affected sites, but do have an obligation under access to information legislation to publish details of risks to the environment, which may include the geographical location of outbreaks (see section 10.5). Where a decision has been taken to inform the public about the disease, information signs relevant to the site will help alert garden visitors. Typically these may include the following advice: • Keep to pathways and do not stray into roped/signed off areas. • Keep children under control and away from roped off areas. • Keep dogs on short leads. • Do not remove plant material including wood from the site. • Clean footwear, pets, equipment (e.g. mountain bikes) before leaving the site. It is important that such signs are carefully located; plant sales areas and tea rooms are useful places to locate discreet but visible information cards/small posters. Information leaflets are also an effective way of informing the public about the disease, what it looks like and why it is important to implement control measures and, sometimes, restrict public access. Such publicity could, where appropriate, highlight the threat of P. ramorum/P. kernoviae to the wider environment and local economies to help garden visitors understand the importance of the disease and gain their co-operation without creating undue alarm. Media enquiries should be handled with care and by trained personnel. Larger enterprises frequently open to the public and local authorities may have their own Public Relations Department to whom press enquiries should be referred. However, enterprises such as smaller private gardens are unlikely to have ready access to such resources and should consider some form of PR training. Your local Defra PHSI* contact will also be able to provide some guidance on dealing with media enquiries and is an invaluable resource to refer to when drafting/updating press releases. Similarly, the Defra and Forestry Commission websites are a useful source of up to date information. With regard to enquiries from garden visitors, members of the public should be advised to remain vigilant and if concerned that a plant may be infected with P. ramorum/P. kernoviae, to report it 30
immediately to a member of staff. In home garden situations, they should be referred to their local PHSI office*. In woodland situations, the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service should be contacted. All enquiries are followed up. In public garden situations, where possible, try to undertake any major pruning, clearing work or path cleaning/leaf blowing outside of normal opening hours to minimise disruption (and, noise levels). Ensure areas where garden staff are working, particularly with dangerous machinery such as chain saws, are cordoned off and clearly signed. *Or the appropriate Plant Health Authority – please see contacts at section 12 9.Plant Passports – what are they and how do they work? Plants of Rhododendron (except R. simsii), Viburnum and Camellia moving within and between EU states require a plant passport at all stages of production down to the final retailer. The passport must always accompany the plant and include the words ‘EC Plant Passport’, a country identifier (e.g. UK/EW, NL or FR) and a reference number. It may include RP if the plants have a replacement passport. Ensure that your plant supplier is providing a valid passport; plants that do not have a valid document will be destroyed. Plant Passports At A Glance The Plant Passport provides important documentary evidence that: • The plants concerned have been grown by a registered grower whose premises are regularly inspected and who is authorised to issue plant passports. • The plants are, to the best of the producer’s knowledge, free from all quarantine pests and disease pathogens and, where appropriate, grown in an environment which is also free from pests and disease pathogens. • Plants imported from outside the EU have been landed by a registered importer, inspected on arrival in the UK or in another member state (or at an approved destination) and found to be free from quarantine pests and pathogens prior to being passported for movement within the EU. The scheme aims to provide protection against the dissemination of harmful organisms including P. ramorum. Species/hybrids of Camellia, Rhododendron (other than R. simsii which has been shown to be resistant to P. ramorum in tests) and Viburnum are now subject to plant passporting requirements to the point of final retail sale. Note: import and plant passport controls have reduced substantially the amount of infected plant material moving in the trade and it is in the interests of all key stakeholders that the requirements of this scheme are upheld. The conditions of the passport are that material originates in areas where P. ramorum is known not to occur or where there have been no signs of the pathogen at the place of production. In cases where signs of the pathogen have been found, appropriate procedures for eradication must have been implemented. PHSI can ask to see original passports; photocopies or retrospective plant passports are not acceptable. Further information can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/planth/pass.htm 31
Page 1 and 2: www.defra.gov.uk Phytophthora ramor
Page 3 and 4: What to do if P. ramorum or P. kern
Page 5 and 6: 1. Summary Phytophthora ramorum is
Page 7 and 8: 3. Biology of Phytophthora ramorum
Page 9 and 10: 4. Hosts 4.1 Phytophthora ramorum T
Page 11 and 12: 5. Symptoms 5.1 Phytophthora ramoru
Page 13 and 14: Pieris die-back Pieris dieback and
Page 15 and 16: Syringa (Lilac) leaf & bud blight L
Page 17 and 18: Symptoms of bark death with associa
Page 19 and 20: Michelia doltsopa Michelia doltsopa
Page 21 and 22: 5.4 Phytophthora kernoviae - On tre
Page 23 and 24: Quercus ilex (Holm oak) Holm oak (Q
Page 25 and 26: • Keep tools and handling equipme
Page 27 and 28: Avoid soil or growing media contact
Page 29 and 30: 6.6 Dealing with wild Rhododendron
Page 31: 4.Monitor subsequent re-growth or s
Page 35 and 36: • Felling or pruning of infected
Page 37 and 38: Full details of the exemptions avai
Page 39: 12.Contact points for advice and fu

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