Developing a Plant Health Outbreak Decision Support Framework

The Forestry Commission and Defra have awarded a contract to develop a Plant Health outbreak decision support framework to inform appropriate responses to tree pest or disease outbreaks.

The tool should allow decision makers to determine the point at which to switch between eradication, containment, and learning to live with a problem based on economic, social, environmental, political, technical and legal considerations. The study should use key tree threats from the UK Plant Health Risk Register to apply the framework and demonstrate it is fit for purpose.