New Chairman Appointed for Leading Squirrel Conservation Charity

Pressrelease

NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED FOR LEADING SQUIRREL CONSERVATION CHARITY

2nd September 2015

The European Squirrel Initiative (ESI) has appointed a new Chairman, Andy Wiseman. Mr Wiseman, a professional chartered forester with over 20 years’ of red squirrel conservation management, took over as Chairman 1st September from Gorge Farr who has been Chairman for the last four years.

“I am delighted to have been appointed Chairman of ESI, it is a great privilege to be leading such a worthwhile and effective charity which is fighting a cause so dear to my heart,” said Mr Wiseman.

ESI, which was founded in 2002 is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the red squirrel through the control of the invasive American grey squirrel.

Andy Wiseman has over 30 years’ experience of grey squirrel control around the UK. He is the former chair of the Borders Squirrel Management Group, currently chairs the red squirrels in South Scotland advisory group and sits on the steering group of the national Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrel project. He works as a Woodland Advisor for Buccleugh who are founder members of the European Squirrel Initiative and has been a trustee and a member of the management committee since the charity’s creation in 2002.

From its beginning ESI has helped shape government policy on the control of red squirrels; it has also been active in developing the position of the European Commission on invasive alien species and been i8nvol;ve

“New legislation enacted in Europe will be placing requirements on EU Governments to take a more coordinated, concerted and robust approach to invasive species. It is important that the government provides sufficient resources for its agencies and land managers to identify and take action to deal with IAS.This report highlights the significant financial cost to the economy which we hope will strengthen the Government’sto deal with the problem,” addedMrWiseman.

However a recent report estimates that existing spending on bio-security by EU member states isrunning at 40million Euros per year or the equivalent of 0.38 Euros per person. This is far below the spending by other countries, such as New Zealand, which currently spends the equivalent of 17 Euros per person.

Ends

Notes to editor:

The European SquirrelInitiative:

Thegreysquirrel,Sciuruscaroliensis,anativespeciesofNorthAmerica,wasintroducedtoEngland fromthelate19thcentury,until1938whenitbecameillegaltoimportorkeepthespeciesincaptivity.

The European Squirrel Initiative was founded in June 2002 by a group of concernedconservationists and foresters. The organisation seeks the restoration of the native red squirrel and the protectionof the natural environment by removing the impact of the alien grey squirrel inEurope.

Its role isto:

• Persuade conservation bodies and governments of the absolute necessity of riddingEurope of the greysquirrel.
• Continue to commission research into the impact of the grey squirrel on localecosystems.For more information visit the ESI website:

Issued by Kendalls on behalf of the European SquirrelInitiative.

For more information, please contact Andrew Kendall:

email Telephone 01394610022