Poster : “Collaborative Efforts to Save Hemlocks in Ohio”

1. OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
“Collaborative Efforts to Save Hemlocks in Ohio”
Jerry Iles (ANR Educator and Watershed Specialist, OSU Extension), Dave Apsley (Natural Resources Specialist, OSU Extension),
Tom Macy (Forest Health Forester, ODNR, Division of Forestry) and Stephanie Downs (Forestry Instructor, Hocking College)
Introduction
The potential loss of eastern hemlock in Ohio’s most visited
state park has resulted in a unique collaborative effort. Ohio
State University Extension (OSUE) and a wide array of
partners from local, state and federal levels are joining forces
to proactively manage hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in
Ohio. Efforts range from local outreach and funding efforts
to the development of a statewide HWA task force.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Ohio
In 2012, HWA was found in southeastern Ohio. This prompted
Ohio State University Extension to work with the ODNR
Division of Forestry to develop four educational programs to
enhance awareness of HWA among the general public and
natural resource managers. OSU Extension personnel began
to actively participate in the Hocking Hills HWA working group
(now HHCA) which was formed in 2012 to begin to prepare for
the impending arrival of HWA to the Hocking Hills, which we
presumed would not occur for at least several years.
In late winter 2013, HWA was detected by Ohio Department of
Agriculture nursery inspectors on an eastern hemlock tree at
Cantwell Cliffs in Hocking Hills State Park. Since that discovery,
OSU Extension personnel have partnered with the ODNR
Divisions of Forestry and Parks, Ohio Department of
Agriculture, and others to address this potentially devastating
threat to eastern hemlock in Ohio.
Partners in Ohio’s HWA Effort
Collaborators with Ohio State University
Extension in this effort include: Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR;
Divisions of Forestry , Parks, and Natural
Areas and Preserves), Ohio Department of
Agriculture, Hocking Hills Conservation
Accomplishments to Date
OSU Extension's contributions to this effort to address HWA in
the Hocking Hills and Ohio include:
• Headed a multi-agency, intensive effort to inspect 350 acres
of hemlock stands on Ohio State Forest and Park lands near
Cantwell Cliffs to delineate and map the extent of the
infestation.
• Led a multi-agency effort to collect predator beetles
(Laricobius nigrinus) from North Carolina and to establish
them on infested eastern hemlocks in the landscape of
Washington County (SE Ohio). These sites will be utilized to
rear beetles for future use in Ohio’s native hemlock stands.
• Worked with ODNR to evaluate soil characteristics, explore
treatment options, and formulate a plan to address HWA at
Cantwell Cliffs.
• Assisted with the chemical treatment nearly 800 eastern
hemlock trees in the infested area and adjacent buffer zones.
• Co-developed and offered training opportunities focusing
on eastern hemlock inventory and HWA survey methods for
property managers, natural resource professionals, camp
directors, and students. To date, these efforts have reached
approximately 800 individuals at more than 20 events.
Bibliography
1 Apsley, D., T.E. McConnell and T. Macy. 2014 (in development).
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Ohio: Partnering that Makes a
Difference, Ohio State University Extension.
2 Stump, N.2008. Ecological Considerations for Risk
Management of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in the Hocking
Hills, Ohio USA, Nicole Stump, MSc (Albert-Ludwigs
University).
3 Hocking Hills Tourism Association. 2014.
http://www.explorehockinghills.com/
4 Ohio Department ofNatural Resources, Division ofForestry. 2014.
http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/
Treatment effortsat Cantwell Cliffs (Top: soil drench and stem
injections); (Bottom : Laricobius nigrinus releaseand
basal spray on cliff line)
Ohio’s Hocking Hills
Eastern hemlocks dominate the vegetation in and around the
beautiful sandstone gorges of the Hocking Hills. The Hocking
Hills Tourism Association estimates Hocking Hills State Park
annual visitations to be over 3 million since 2010. In 2011,
tourism generated $115 million in business activity, which
supported more than 900 jobs in Hocking County (Ohio
Department of Development). Loss of hemlocks in the region
would significantly impact the local tourism industry.
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Hocking County Extension
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information: http://go.osu.edu/cfaesdiversity.
Plans for the Future
This is a rapidly developing problem for the tourism industry
and the ecosystems that are unique to the Hocking Hills Region
of Ohio. OSU Extension plans to continue to work with ODNR,
the Hocking Hills Conservation Association, and other partners
to:
• Develop additional educational programs and materials for
a variety of audiences including the general public, the
tourism industry, woodland owners, and natural resource
managers
• Enhance early detection and rapid response capabilities
• Inventory eastern hemlock stands in the region to be
utilized in the formulation of future plans of action
• Seek external funding sources for outreach, research on
tourism impacts, biological control, and chemical
treatments
• Continue to establish HWA predator beetle populations in
Ohio for future use in native eastern hemlock stands
• Expand these efforts to other areas of the state with native
hemlock populations through Ohio’s HWA Task Force
Conclusions
OSU Extension, and the College of Food,
Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
bring a broad range of expertise to the
table when it comes to forest
ecosystems and the pests that impact
them. By proactively contributing to this
effort, we have been able to forge new,
and strengthen existing partnerships,
which will allow us to more effectively
address future threats to Ohio’s forests
and natural resources.
Cantwell Cliffs, where HWA
was first found in Hocking Hills
State Park
HWA at Cantwell Cliffs,
February 2013
The Hocking Hills Conservation Association is a local organization
formed under leadership of the local tourism association to support
HWA outreach and management efforts. HHCA Logo, Hemlock Hero
and outreach poster used in Hocking Hills State Park
Distribution of eastern
hemlock in Ohio (Nicole
Stump, 2008); Hocking
Hills Region circled in red.
Scheick Hollow State
Nature Preserve
Association (HHCA; a non-profit recently formed
to raise funds to support HWA efforts in the region), Ohio
Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the Hocking
Soil and Water Conservation District