Page 19 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2024

This article is part two of a two-part series. In the previous issue of TreeLine, we explored the legacy of Dr. Fred Hain and his work in studying invasive insects.
By Caroline Lord, Outreach and Communications Manager, Hemlock Restoration Initiative
PART 2 of a 2 Part Series
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO
Save Hemlocks
Carolina and eastern hemlocks play an integral role in Appalachian forest ecosystems, and both species are dying from an
to effectively manage and support hemlock health on the landscape level,” says HRI Director Margot Wallston.
In-situ
Conservation
HRI and the North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) work together to treat hemlock stands using chemical and biological controls. Their goal is to keep existing hemlocks alive with insecticides until biocontrols become fully established and additional strategies take hold. The two organizations have dramatically increased the number of stands receiving one or both types of protection. Jim Slye, NCFS Forest Health Branch Head, says, “Between HRI and NCFS, we’ve been able to treat somewhere north of 120,000 hemlocks.”
HRI and NCFS work collaboratively with the NCDA&CS Beneficial Insects Lab (BIL)
Top image: Dead hemlocks line the river below Linville Falls. Above: NCFS Forest Health Specialist Brian Heath treats a hemlock at Rendezvous Mountain State Park.
to identify or create appropriate sites for the establishment of biological controls within the treated stands, which may eventually reduce dependence on chemical treatment. HRI has supplied BIL with Laricobius beetles that feed on HWA and infested hemlock foliage to help start, feed, and maintain their colonies. HRI’s biocontrol monitoring program helps inform how the integration of chemical and biological control works and where the gaps are.
“It’s a big team effort, with all the different agencies cooperating together to accomplish
a common goal,” says Greg Wiggins, NCDA&CS Biological Control Administrator.
invasive insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA).
Several North Carolina-based groups are trying to safeguard the long-term health of hemlock trees via various strategies, and the Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI) has brought many of them together and amplified their impact. Formed in 2014 by Commissioner Steve Troxler and funded
by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) and the USDA Forest Service, HRI’s mission is
to conserve hemlocks in NC forests on public and private land and to support the restoration efforts of its many partners.
“We are lucky to have an engaged group of partners whose work broadens our ability
ncforestry.org / SECOND QUARTER 2024 17