Following a very well-attended and passionate meeting of the Nature Recovery working group of the GLNP, a position statement has been created which represents a shared understanding, and provides the basis for a joined-up approach to dealing with Ash Dieback.

Different partners in the GLNP, particularly land-owning partners, will have their own, perhaps regional or national positions, and their responses to this crisis will largely be guided by those considerations, but it was considered useful to offer a GLNP-wide position, not least in terms of communicating a rationale for actions to the Gloucestershire public.

The statement details an approach that is based on risk and best-practice guidance. It puts the natural environment and public safety at the heart of decision-making around the response to Ash Dieback. It is hoped that this will prove a useful tool in communicating about the issue to all stakeholders.