This report presents a cost effectiveness analysis of options to control the effects of the Great Spruce Bark Beetle, or Dendroctonus micans, on spruce forests in Great Britain.

The appraisal was carried out as follows:

a. Options for controlling the spread of D.micans were identified through discussions with the FC working group overseeing the appraisal.

b. Following the formal consultation exercise, completed in June 2003, key stakeholders in the public and private forest sectors were specifically consulted in October 2003 about the costs of implementing different control options. This consultation also yielded a good deal of qualitative information about the possible effects of the control options on markets for timber and associated products.

c. Previous appraisals of D.micans control options were reviewed in order to design an appropriate method for modelling the costs associated with the spread and control of D.micans. As a result, some elements of previous models were retained; notably the circular fashion in which D.micans is assumed to spread. However, the costings for different options and timber price levels were altered substantially.

d. A spreadsheet model was constructed in order to estimate net present values and annual equivalent values for the options for controlling D.micans. Precise costings and control options were adjusted in consultation with the working group and relevant staff in Forest Enterprise.