Who has a stake in ash dieback? A conceptual framework for the identification and categorisation of tree health stakeholders.

Stakeholder engagement is increasingly recognised as an essential component of environmental management. But what does it mean to have a ‘stake’ in tree health? In this chapter we use case-study analysis to explore the stakeholder concept in relation to tree health. We develop a framework to underpin better understanding of the stakeholder landscape in tree health and through which to categorise individuals and groups within it. This chapter highlights how the framework can facilitate more effective engagement and communication that is sensitive to the particular needs of different stakeholder groups, with a specific focus on the case of ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) in Great Britain. We use it both to improve understanding of how the outbreak developed over time, and to identify the roles of a diverse range of stakeholders as they became involved at different points in the outbreak. Critical reflection enables lessons to be learned for future stakeholder engagement, such as recognition of how stakeholder engagement changes over the course of an outbreak, identification of potential key stakeholder groups that may be overlooked or difficult to access, and which stakeholders are likely to be most influential in driving or facilitating behaviour change.