Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson applied a chemical treatment to the first eastern hemlock tree to suppress the hemlock woolly adelgid. He joined staff of the Allegheny National Forest, USFS Northern Research Station; the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Nature Conservancy; and members of the Wildcat Park board of directors to treat an eastern hemlock tree at Wildcat Park in Ludlow, Pa.
This group is the part of the High Allegheny Unglaciated Plateau Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Partnership – a collaborative effort organized to suppress the hemlock woolly adelgid. The project encompasses nearly 2.5 million acres of federal, state, and private lands in Northwestern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York around the Seneca Nation of Indians Reservation. Members include representatives of almost 50 groups, agencies, organizations, and institutions, with additional support from the Forest Service State and Private Forestry and the Forest Health Protection staff the Morgantown Field Office
Hemlock woolly adelgid is an introduced pest from Japan that was discovered in the eastern United States in the early 1950s. The first discovery of the pest in the High Allegheny Plateau Partnership Area occurred 2013 in Cooks Forest State Park. Since then, several infestations have been found on the ANF and in nearby Allegany State Park in New York.
The hemlock is an important part of the forest ecosystem because it provides thermal cover for wildlife; habitat for a number of arthropods, birds, and mammals; shade along streams and springs; and contributes nutrients to aquatic systems. It is also valued for its year-round green foliage and spiritual values. In addition, the area has some of the most notable examples of old growth hemlock in Pennsylvania which needs to be protected. Eastern hemlock provides economic benefits to communities, as visitors come to fish trout streams shaded by hemlock, visit old growth hemlock groves, sightsee, and recreate in areas with hemlock trees.
If left untreated, the hemlock woolly adelgid could potentially kill all of the eastern hemlocks across the ANF and the Allegheny Plateau over the next 50 years. Loss of the eastern hemlock tree would be a significant impact to the ecosystem because there simply is not a like replacement for this tree.
The ANF is also in the process of completing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to treat the priority areas on the ANF. Some areas – mainly old growth hemlock in the Hearts Content area – are being considered for pre-treatment in advance of an infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid.
Pictured, Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson applies a chemical treatment to an eastern hemlock tree at Wildcat Park in Ludlow, PA. This was the first tree in the area to be treated to suppress the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive species that was first found in the region in 2013. Photos courtesy of the US Forest Service.