"The concern here is that these might be early warning signs of dieback, " said Stephenson.
Dieback has been confirmed at 115 sites with Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent and Essex among the worst affected.
The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and it can lead to tree death.
Anyone who has been keeping track of the ash dieback story in recent months would probably agree.
Ministers confirmed that 100, 000 trees had been destroyed to try to prevent the spread of the ash dieback disease.
Fears of the spread of the ash dieback disease have prompted the call.
BBC: Ash dieback disease: Walkers urged to help prevent spread
Ash dieback was first confirmed in the UK in ash plants in a nursery in England in February 2012.
You should report any sightings of ash dieback to the Forestry Commission.
Ash dieback is spread by airborne spores and can also be moved long distances by the transport of infected material.
Dieback was first recorded in eastern Europe in 1992 and spread over two decades to infect most of the continent.
Ash dieback was first recorded in eastern Europe in 1992 and spread over two decades to infect most of the continent.
The arrival of ash dieback disease could have "devastating consequences" in the Isle of Man, according to the island's environment minister.
People in the Isle of Man have been invited to a talk to help "unravel the mysteries" of ash dieback disease.
Chlara dieback of ash is caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea.
More than 150 Forestry Commission staff, and a Scottish government team, are working round the clock to look for signs of Chalara ash dieback.
The Chalara fraxinea fungus, which causes Chalara dieback - also known as ash dieback - has already killed 90% of ash trees in Denmark.
An intensive survey is taking place throughout Wales to spot any signs of the dieback disease threatening to wipe out the UK's ash trees.
Chalara ash dieback was found in July in five young trees out of a batch of 100 supplied to Plants Ltd in Woodcock Lane, Chobham.
Chalara dieback of ash is caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus.
To date, dieback has been confirmed at more than 100 sites across the UK, with woodlands in Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent and Essex among the worst affected.
Dieback, caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus, was first recorded in eastern Europe in 1992 and spread over two decades to infect most of the continent.
The disease was first observed as a new form of ash dieback in Poland in 1992, and has since spread to ash trees in many European countries.
The government is to plant a quarter of a million ash trees in an attempt to find strains that are resistant to the fungus responsible for ash dieback.
Paul King, owner of King and Co tree nursery at Rayne near Braintree, destroyed the trees as he did not want to take any chances over ash dieback.
The man he is replacing - Sir John Beddington - had to provide advice on Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident, Iceland's volcanic ash eruption and the spread of Ash dieback.
Mr Paterson also announced that imports of sweet chestnut trees could be banned under proposals to prevent a repeat of the ash dieback crisis threatening ash trees across the country.
Chalara dieback of ash, caused by the fungus chalara fraxinea, was identified at the new Welsh sites during a "trace forward" inspection of young trees sourced from known infected nurseries.
Experts have warned that if ash dieback was to become widely established in the UK, the impact could be as serious as the 1970s outbreak of Dutch elm disease, which saw millions of trees destroyed.
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