1. 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.

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

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

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

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

9. 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

10. Methods of control

12. Population expansion curves for Red Squirrels

13. 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
4000 people on the island, 1 million visitors. Goat population 30k in 1930! Government funding was halted in 1994, but resumed in 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 goats remained and were removed

14. 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

15. 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  

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

17. 2012 survey ref Lawton, Sheehy et al
Greys on the left and Reds on the right

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

19. 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.

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