Protecting Seneca Lake’s Hemlocks

Thanks to a generous grant of over $50,000 from the Rose Family Foundation, we have launched a critical initiative to protect Seneca Lake’s eastern hemlock trees from the invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). These iconic trees play a vital role in safeguarding water quality, preventing erosion, and supporting wildlife habitats. Losing them would be devastating for the health of our watershed.

What We Are Doing

Our initiative focused on identifying, prioritizing, and planning for treatment. We partnered with Forest and Water Solutions and expert Zeb Strickland to lead this assessment phase. Our volunteer Hemlock Hunters surveyed properties and collected data on hemlock health. Some trees were already too far gone to save, but we identify those still worth protecting—especially high-priority trees that stabilize steep ravines and help keep our streams cold. 

We have started the treatment phase with CC Environment and Planning, a New York State Women owned environmental business, owned and operated by Sheila Hess. 

The Threat

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is a small insect that feeds on hemlock sap and kills trees within a few years. While public lands (like Watkins Glen State Park) have begun treatment programs, most of the watershed’s hemlocks are on private property and remain untreated.

Do You Have Hemlocks on Your Property?

If you are a homeowner with hemlocks on your property, we would love to hear from you. You may want to consider moving forward with assessment and treatment, especially if your trees are identified as high priority to the watershed. 

There are more hemlocks in the watershed than we can treat in this first phase, so prioritization is essential. 

Have questions or want to get involved?

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