The Operational Advisory Group (OAG) met in October before the national conference. On the agenda were discussions around the high-level approach to future work, including reviewing previous reports on prioritisation of wilding conifer sites.
Key factors suggested as measures for prioritisation in the future include land vulnerability, species spread risk, protecting vulnerable land, risk of re-invasion and levels of previous investment. Good prioritisation criteria are important to help with decision making and ensure good outcomes are achieved with the limited Programme funding available.
The importance of updating the Programme’s infestation mapping to help with prioritisation and planning of operations is a key issue.
The group discussed a contingency work package – high priority sites for control that could be implemented promptly as additional funding becomes available.
Reviewing the operational outcomes achieved in 2023/24 with funding received through the International Visitor Levy for was another key topic. This one-off funding enabled more than 140,000 hectares of essential control work to be carried out that would otherwise have been deferred. It also created a chance to test new processes for reporting of work delivered through multiple funding contributions.
In other business, the potential for biocontrol of Pinus contorta was discussed.
Linked to the standing items on Health & Safety and Best Practice, three new Good Practice Guides were submitted for OAG members to review and approve:
As always these are iterative documents, as good practice is a process of constant improvement. Research and Good practice specialist Jen, and Health & Safety specialist Johno, would be glad to hear feedback or suggestions from anyone using the Post-Control Auditing guide or the Remote and Isolated Word guide respectively.