New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension have announced a workshop on hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) has been set for December 15, at the DEC Region 5 Office in Warrensburg.

Charlotte Malmborg, a natural resources technician with the New York State Hemlock Initiative at Cornell University (NYSHI), will provide information on the importance of hemlock trees in northeastern forests, the threat presented by HWA, and how landowners can identify and manage HWA infestations. She will also introduce New York State Hemlock Initiative’s research of biological control opportunities and describe the role of NYSHI in promoting hemlock conservation in New York State.

The workshop will move outside for a short period so participants may view hemlock trees and some of the common things found on them that may be confused for HWA. DEC staff will also provide a brief presentation on the Spotted Lanternfly which will cover the biology, potential impacts, current status, and the efforts to prevent the spread of this invasive insect.

The workshop will begin at 12:30 pm. The DEC Region Warrensburg Office is located at 232 Golf Course Road and is wheelchair accessible. The workshop is free but participants must register with Dan Carusone at (518) 668‐4881 or djc69@cornell.edu. Only 75 people may attend the workshop so register soon.

The hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny insect from East Asia first discovered in New York in 1985, attacks forest and ornamental hemlock trees. It feeds on young twigs, causing needles to dry out and drop prematurely and causing branch dieback. Hemlock decline and mortality typically occur within four to 10 years of infestation in the insect’s northern range.

In 2017, a small cluster of HWA was discovered on an Eastern hemlock tree on Prospect Mountain near the village of Lake George. Crews from DEC and NYSHI surveyed 250 acres on the mountain and found only two other infested trees, both only a short distance from where the infestation was first discovered. The infested trees and nearby trees were treated by staff from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program.

Photo of Hemlock woolly adelgid provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension.