Ash dieback is going to ‘dramatically change the appearance of our roads and landscapes over the next 10 years’.

That’s according to arboriculturalist Andrew Igoea from tree management company Manx Roots.

Ash dieback is caused by the fungus hymenoscyphus fraxineus.

It blocks the water transport system in the tree causing the leaves to wilt and die.

This is followed by the development of lesions (discolorations) on the bark and the dieback of branches within the crown of the tree.

Mr Igoea took to the company’s website to criticise the lack of a government strategy to deal with the growing issue, particularly in relation to those lining the island’s roads.

He said: ‘Due to the epidemiology of the disease, it is, unfortunately, nigh on impossible to stop it spreading through our ash tree population. Because of this, DEFA have not attempted to start a control programme like they did for Dutch elm disease in the 1990s.

‘With no real interest in trying to prevent the spread of the disease, DEFA’s main interest relates to its duty of care to keep people safe on its own estate (i.e. in our national glens and forest areas).

‘When ash succumb to this disease they have the potential to become a significant hazard to people and property.’

He said that both DEFA and the Public Estates and Housing Division of the DoI have a ‘tree management strategy’, alongside the Highways Division of the DoI.

Highways is involved as many of our primary transport routes are lined with ash trees, many of which ‘are going to be in a compromised structural condition in the next five years, if they aren’t already’.

Private landowners are also responsible for trees on their land.

Mr Igoea said: ‘Private landowners are responsible for trees on their land. If an ash tree in an obviously poor physiological or structural condition were to injure someone on a public highway, the owner of the tree may be found liable if a compensation claim is made against them.

‘Despite there being a number of responsible landowners seeking to prune or remove their compromised ash trees, there are still a substantial number of ash trees to deal with adjacent to our highways.’

The Highways Act 1986 allows Highways to order landowners to deal with such trees and, if the landowner fails to comply, allows Highways to enter on to the land to undertake the work and then reclaim the costs.

Despite having these powers, however, the DoI told Manx Roots that as of May 23 this year, no such notices have been issued for ash trees in the last three years, and that very few have ever been issued.

Mr Igoea pointed out that according to DoI reports published online, the disease was present on all routes surveyed, except for the mountain road and coastal roads, and 61% of surveyed ash show significant signs of dieback.

Despite this, the government has not published any strategy regarding how the issue will be dealt with.

Mr Igoea said that the question he is often asked is “what is government doing about ash dieback?”

He stated: ‘Based on the information currently available, the answer seems to be a not very satisfactory “they’re thinking about doing something”.

‘Sadly, due to a lack of action by landowners and the government, many people working in our industry believe it is a matter of when, not if, someone will be killed or seriously injured by a dangerous tree on our highways. I hope we’re wrong.’