FUNDED! The Blue Ridge Parkway’s old growth Carolina hemlock trees, a rare endemic species, and eastern hemlocks are at serious risk due to the hemlock woolly adelgid. Hemlock is the dominant species in many Parkway forests and its demise would result in cascading effects to other species such as migratory birds and aquatic resources. The park has already lost 50 percent of the hemlock trees in North Carolina. In 2015, funding through the Foundation and Hemlock Restoration Initiative, sponsored by NCDA&CS, secured preventative treatments for surviving trees along the Parkway and supported a campaign to engage private landowners in the fight against this invasive pest. Read more about project.
Save the Hemlocks: Hemlock Restoration Initiative
Additional information on Hemlock restoration efforts:
Making a Start on Restoring Hemlocks to the Southern Appalachians
One-Two Punch Slows Down the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Biological Control of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid