The Allegheny National Forest and The Nature Conservancy-PA will hold a free hemlock woolly adelgid workshop to train volunteers on how to identify and report hemlock woolly adelgid infestations November 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Allegheny National Forest Supervisor's Office at 4 Farm Colony Drive in Warren, according to The Bradford Era.

Topics slated to be discussed will include hemlock value and threat by Dale Luthringer from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Cook Forest State Park; hemlock woolly adelgid biology and identification by Tim Tomon the DCNR Bureau of Forestry; and High Allegheny hemlock conservation strategy and volunteer survey protocol by Sarah Johnson of The Nature Conservancy and Andrea Hille of the Forest Service.

The hemlock woolly adelgid is a tiny nonnative (introduced to the United States from Asia) invasive insect that is attacking and killing hemlock trees across Pennsylvania and many eastern states.

“The hemlock is an important part of the forest ecosystem because it provides thermal cover for wildlife, habitat for a number of insects, birds, and mammals, shade along streams and springs, and contributes nutrients to aquatic systems,” said Forest Silviculturist Andrea Hille. “It is also valued for its year-round green foliage and aesthetic values, and is the Pennsylvania state tree.”

The High Allegheny Hemlock Partnership was initiated in 2013 and established to take a collaborative and proactive approach to maintain forests across the Allegheny National Forest region in a healthy state for current and future generations.

Members include The Nature Conservancy-PA, Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service State and Private Forestry, universities, conservation organizations, and several large industrial forest landowners.

For more information or to register for the event, contact Sarah Johnson at The Nature Conservancy-PA by sending email to: sejohnson@tnc.or g or Andrea Hille at the Allegheny National Forest by sending email to: ahille@fs.fed.us.

More background on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is available from Penn State Extension.

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