Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 8038 11 Arboricultural and Woodland Maintenance Good arboricultural or forestry practice should be evident across the site. Regular monitoring of trees, as appropriate to the site, should be undertaken as part of a management approach to tree health and duty of care to visitors and staff. The management plan should, informed by the tree survey, explain how the different areas of the site are managed and why. There should also be an established emergency response to fallen or dangerous trees, plans for the future and succession planning. During their visit, judges may ask to see the tree survey results and discuss your response to it. The following should be considered where appropriate: + Zoning the site according to levels of use to inform likely levels of risk + Establishing regular informal inspections (by individuals familiar with the site) and formal (expert) observations at an appropriate frequency. Any problems should be reported, acted upon and these actions recorded + Identifying any potentially problematic trees and developing an action plan to ensure safety and effective maintenance + Making plans for replacement of the tree stock over time + Site managers should have knowledge of key specimen trees and understand how to ensure their upkeep + Taking suitable biosecurity actions relating to tree stock and measures to avoid the spread of tree diseases, including thorough cleaning of equipment and reputable stock sourcing + What to do with dead wood on the site – for example, where and when it is left to provide a habitat for bats, hole nesting birds and invertebrates, where and when it is taken away for health and safety or aesthetic reasons Further Information The Arboricultural Association – A world leading body for over 50 years delivering professional skills and guidance www.trees.org.uk. The Forestry Commission – information on managing forests, biosecurity in the UK nations http://www.forestry.gov.uk; hosts The National Tree Safety Group – Commonsense Risk Management of Trees (2011) http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FCMS024.pdf/$FILE/FCMS024.pdf, which includes legal obligations for landowners and managers, and a summary for estates and smallholdings at www.forestry.gov.uk/ safetreemanagement. IOSH – Institution of Occupational Safety and Health – offer a variety of training courses www.iosh.co.uk Lantra (UK) – the lead body for land based and environmental training courses provide basic tree survey courses www.lantra.co.uk