At this time of year when many people are thinking of planting new trees The National Tree Safety Group (NTSG) is launching its guidance on the common sense management of existing trees.

The NTSG is an exemplar of a broad partnership of government, the private sector and civil society working together effectively to a collective goal.

The guidance is quite simply an easy to use practical management tool. It helps large landowners and individual tree owners who wish to be reassured that they are fulfilling their duty of care to visitors and passersby alike. It provides sensible, clear and unambiguous practical advice in a way that is easy to read and can be interpreted to suit most, if not all, locations where trees grow. Locations ranging from trees in forests, woodlands and rural areas through institutional and commercial land to parks, gardens and domestic properties in urban areas.

The documents that will be available are:

1. Common sense risk management of trees (The main guidance document priced at £19.99 plus P&P)

2. A Landowner Summary (for estates and smallholdings available free)

3. Managing Trees for Safety (For the domestic tree owner available free)

This guidance has been produced over a period of three years following the commissioning of new research into trees and risk, extensive consultation on early drafts and considerable effort by the NTSG Drafting Group in drawing together all the various views, concerns and priorities expressed by the full NTSG membership.

Judith Webb Chair of the NTSG said:

“This suite of guidance documents brings together the best, generally accepted and balanced approach to managing risks from trees, whilst recognising the many benefits which they provide”.

“It has been an extraordinary journey bringing together arboriculturists and foresters, the public, private and charitable sectors, landowners and managers and the rural and the urban. What has been rewarding and delightful has been the extent of common understanding born from a common love and knowledge of trees”.

All the guidance documents as hard copies or PDF downloads are now available from the Forestry Commission Publications website. There is a link available from the NTSG website so that interested parties can go straight to the relevant page.

www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/HCOU-4VXJ5B

www.ntsg.org.uk

All press enquiries about the National Tree Safety Group guidance should be directed to:

Judith Webb MBE, Chair NTSG. E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Mobile: 07973 279081