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Forestry plant health

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Since 1 April 2013 the Welsh Ministers' tree health functions have been delegated to both the Forestry Commissioners and Natural Resources Wales. The Welsh Government has policy responsibility for tree health in Wales and therefore owns this strategy and any disease-specific plans for the management of pathogens in Wales.

The Plant Health Act 1967 gives the Welsh Ministers the power to make orders for the purpose of controlling the introduction or spread of pests into Great Britain. Managing the impact of pests and diseases is an important aspect of the general duties to promote forestry and adequate reserves of growing trees. The Plant Health (Forestry) Order 2005 is concerned with the control of pests and diseases injurious to trees or bushes.

The Welsh Ministers have made several statutory instruments using powers conferred on them by sections 2 and 3 of the Plant Health Act 1967 which mean that the Plant Health (Forestry) Order 2005 is applied to Wales separately to England. These include:

Published on
Last updated
03 June 2021