Barbed matters

The ash trees in my lane are shedding their leaves, clogging the gullies. High wind snaps their branches off and occasionally a whole tree comes down. They're the meanest trees in Britain, the last to come into leaf, and all through the winter and spring, the upward flip of their twigs makes them look like beggars with outstretched hands cupped for donations. But I'd miss them if they weren't around. They're part of the landscape. Now there is a disease wiping out ash trees on the continent, so devastating that the government is going to ban their import. What I can't understand is why on earth they were ever imported in the first place?They're native British trees and their seedlings are unwanted weeds. I gather them up in bucketloads from the garden.  If anyone wants enough to plant a new forest, let me know.