Agenda item

Tree Pests and Diseases: Oak Processionary Moth urgent update

Report of the Director Open Spaces.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Director of Open Spaces which provided Members with an urgent update on the challenges being faced due to the spread of Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) across the Open Spaces in the care of The City of London. The Director of Open Spaces noted that the OPM treatment had cost £100,000 in 2018 and was estimated to cost in the region of £200,000 this year and is likely to increase exponentially thereafter. In addition, he explained that the OPM was already present at various sites in Epping Forest highlighting that education would be a key factor in mitigating the impact of OPM. The Head of Conservation for Epping Forest detailed that currently the Forest had 100 effected trees and 200 OPM nests but that this was excepted to be in the 1000’s soon.

 

Replying to a query regarding photograph examples of the OPM, the Director of Open Spaces clarified that the Forestry Commission website was a useful recourse for material on OPM.

 https://www.forestry.gov.uk/oakprocessionarymoth

 

In addition, it was confirmed that in April new signage would be produced to inform visitors to the Forest of the potential dangers of OPM when it was expected that new nests would form.

 

A Member asked if there were specific sites where the OPM was particularly prevalent. The Head of Conservation replied that OPM was predominantly located at sites with open grown oak but added that the sites where the OPM nests were likely to encountered by visitors had already been identified.

 

RESOLVED- That the report be noted.

 

 

 

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