Charles Dutton Chartered Forester Pryor & Rickett Silviculture Charles Dutton Chartered Forester Trustee and Director of The European Squirrel Initiative (Senior forestry manager for Pryor & Rickett Silviculture ) ESI was formed in 2002, is a group of conservationists, foresters and farmers. ‘The restoration of the native Red Squirrel and the protection of the natural environment by removing the impact of the alien Grey Squirrel in Europe’. Registered Charity Privately funded.

Are we serious about GS control, has it worked over the last 70 years? Ref RSST Janet Wikens 2014

So what are the impacts from Grey Squirrels Loss of timber , estimated at £10 – 14 m / yr ref Trevor Salmon of Defra, CD & FC Loss of native biodiversity (woodland birds decline by 15% ref GWCT Loss of landscape, no more Syc & or Beech Landowners deciding not to grow broadleaves. Loss of £m of grant aid for tree planting Loss of a carbon cinque

Relationship between damage score and phloem widths, for grey squirrels. ( ref Kenward 1998)

Another key relationship between young grey squirrels and damage ref Kenward 1999

Grey squirrel damage relationship table ref Kenward and Dutton 1990 Tree spacing Pheasant feeders Thinning Many seeding trees Tree growth Little ground cover Much Phloem Much breeding Survival of ‘Sap Addicts’ Tree growth Behaviour and visibility Reward Triggering Learning DAMAGE Poorer relationship Good relationship

Damage Score & Frequency Damage score 1 above DS 2, top right DS 3 bottom 3

Damage Score Damage score 4 on left and 5 on right.

Grey Squirrel Summer Damage Score sheet Name of Estate Date Wood Cpt. No. Tree species PY Previous damage score 1 -5 Previous Frequency 1 - 10 Currant damage Currant frequency Control Y / N When last thinned

Methods of control

Population expansion curves for Red Squirrels

Summary from the IUCN book ‘Turning the Tide 2002’ following the world international conference on the control of alien invasive species in 2001 WHAT WHERE PAGE Area 1ST METHOD 2ND METHOD 3RD METHOD SUCCESS Cat Hermite Island Western Australia 14 1500ha Aerial bait Trapping - Success 5 mammals Rats/hares/cat 5 Island Indian Ocean Mauritius 40 100 ha Poison/grains & pellet Cat-trap Possums Kapiti Island New Zealand 46 1965 ha Traps Dog and gun + helicoptor trap Rabbit and goat Round Island Mauritius 53 169ha Impact assessment only Fox Alaska 102 1.9 m ha Yet to be published Goats Sarigan Island North Marina Is 132 500+ ha Helicopter shooting Ground shooting Trapping with dogs Pacific Rat Codfish Is. & Stewart Is New Zealand 173 1396 ha Aerial Aerial and ground bait status for protected species Cat/rabbit/rat and mouse Seychelles 182 939 ha Rodent Rodenticide & cat trap Rat/rabbit St Paul Islands French South Territory 199 Bait/aerial – rat Rabbits – more sustained than rat survey Feral Goat Santa Catalina Island, California 412 194 km² Ground and aerial hunting 1990-94 4000 people on the island, 1 million visitors. Goat population 30k in 1930! Government funding was halted in 1994, but resumed in 1996. Then targeted areas, then whole island. Goat had tracking collars. Community forum in 1999 – animal welfare group ,relocated goats off the island the last of the goats. By the start of 2001 25-30 goats remained and were removed

Method Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Outcome Aerial application Yes - Not really practical but maybe with IMC Landscape shooting Local shoot group under the BASC with ESI Natural Predators No Such as Pine Marten, but only in certain areas, such as Wales, Scottish Borders, but there mare be some collateral damage Target shooting Small local teams such as used in the Penrith Area. Ideal where GS & RS interface Multi Cage traps Poss A better use of resources and cheaper cost per kill that single traps. Single Cage traps OK at the interface, but very labour intensive and costly to run Multi Kill traps Such as the New Good Nature Trap MK 2 Single Kill traps Such as Fenn traps, very labour intenise IMC Not yet developed and may cost £1m to bring to market

Phase 1 Landscape scale control Devon Pilot project, funds from the FC a joint project with the BASC, ESI and PRS                                         A Shooting Protocol PRS and or ESI contact   A local squirrel group Coordinator                                          Report to regional BASC                                                                                                                                     Written Permission from land owners/ Game Keepers / Estate Reps (a simple signed form, 1 side of A 4) List of Guns, address and their BASC Insurance details Shoot dates and details of the Co-ordinated plan for the 6 – 8 wks Feedback results to BASC & ESI / PRS at end of season:  (has the control program worked) GS Summer Damage Survey by Pryor & Rickett Silviculture. Client gets FOC GS control for phase 1  

Pine Martens vs Squirrels 2007 survey Greys on left and Reds on right: ref Carey et al

2012 survey ref Lawton, Sheehy et al Greys on the left and Reds on the right

Pine Martens in Ireland and the UK UK Pine Marten survey by VWT 2012 Irish Pine Marten survey by Sheehee 2014

Conclusions We need to be truthful about past attempts to control GS We know why they damage trees and their impact on the wider biodiversity. We understand the recommendations and lessons from the IUCN We need a strategic landscape plan to remove GS We need to work with others to deliver such a plan and to bridge the gaps in our knowledge Above all, we must not play politics with this topics and to produce meaningful GS control guideline and recommendations for trees growers.

Thank you so much for listening and I hope that you found it of interest.