The Forestry Commission has issued a temporary embargo on issuing licences to fell larch to help the fight the spread of the ramorum tree disease.
A felling embargo has been issued as it is impossble to identify disease symptoms on trees once the larch have dropped their needles during winter. The embargo will remain until May 31.
Once trees produce new needles next spring, infected trees can be identified before felling.
Large areas of Japanese larch across the country have been affected by the outbreak, with widespread felling introduced in a bid to contain the spread.
Larch woodland makes up about 134,000ha in the UK – about 5% of the total woodland area.
