Flintshire Heritage Park facing major tree felling due to ash dieback disease
A Flintshire Heritage Park is facing significant tree felling due to the spread of ash dieback, a fungal infection affecting ash trees.
It is estimated that 80% of ash trees in the area will be killed by the disease, with another 20% likely to be killed by secondary infections.
The disease was first identified in Flintshire in 2015, and it is believed that every ash tree in the area has been exposed and will be affected to some extent.
The Greenfield Valley country park, near Holywell, is known for its woodland, reservoirs, ancient monuments, and factories that played a significant role in the Industrial Revolution, and a large number of trees there will need to be felled.
Despite some trees appearing healthy, they can still be infected with the fungus, which grows inside the tree, eventually blocking its water transport systems and causing the tree to die.
Due to the infection affecting the structural integrity of the trees, diseased trees must be removed to prevent the risk of collapse onto pathways and tracks.
Park officials have marked and logged diseased ash and elm trees, but someone has added additional markings to trees, including healthy oak and beech trees, which were not part of the original plan.
The park’s management is investigating the source of the additional markings and emphasised that the trees marked for removal are only those that are diseased and pose a risk to the park’s ecosystem.
Trees will grow back through natural regeneration, and some areas will be underplanted in the future.
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