The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension are set to host a workshop on hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) on April 11, at the DEC Region 5 Office in Warrensburg, NY, from 5 to 8 pm.

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.

During the workshop on April 11, 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.

DEC Forester Jason Denham will present on the invasive pests; emerald ash borer and the spotted lanternfly. He will provide an update on their status in New York, and how these invasive pests could be expected to impact the Adirondack Region.

The workshop will begin at 5 pm. Participants will be outside for a short period at the beginning of the session to view hemlock trees and some of the common things found on them that may be confused for HWA.

The DEC Region 5 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 email at djc69@cornell.edu. Attendance is limited to 75 people, so register soon.

Photo of hemlock woolly adelgid courtesy DEC.