Private landowners at Dunaway Hunting and Fishing Club in Sequatchie County are joining forces with the Tennessee Hemlock Conservation Partnership to show the region’s private landowners how to save their majestic, but threatened hemlock trees. A free workshop scheduled for Saturday, September 15 at Dunaway will help private landowners learn about the threat of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and gain skills needed to chemically treat and preserve their own hemlocks.

Native to Asia, but now living in the eastern U.S., hemlock woolly adelgid is a small aphid-like insect that feeds at the base of hemlock needles and can kill hemlocks in as few as three years.

Hemlocks are slow-growing, long-lived evergreens that provide dense shade that keeps forests and streams cool throughout much of eastern Tennessee, provide important fish and wildlife habitat, and contribute to the state’s scenic beauty. It has been estimated that loss of hemlocks from private property can decrease property value by up to 20%, not to mention the cost of removal of large dead trees.  HWA has been found in several counties on the Cumberland Plateau, including Sequatchie County as of this year, and is moving westward.

"Here at Dunaway, land conservation and stewardship are a key component of our mission and management philosophy, and our membership is proud to be working with these partners to help save the hemlocks on the Cumberland Plateau.  We urge all of our surrounding landowners to join in the fight to help control the woolly adelgid," said Jim Thompson, Dunaway Hunting and Fishing Club general manager.

Private land conservation of hemlocks in Tennessee is important to ensuring preservation of Tennessee’s hemlock forests. In the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains, the Tennessee Hemlock Conservation Partnership estimates that there are 67,620 acres of forest with a substantial hemlock component on private lands.  On public lands, the partnership estimates there are 78,849 acres of forest with substantial hemlock component.

“Tennessee citizens are very worried about the fate of their hemlock trees on their property. Our partnership is hopeful that we can provide the assistance that is needed for private landowners to chemically treat and save their hemlocks until a long-term control is established,” said Douglas Godbee, Forest Health Forester with Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry.

The workshop is open to anyone interested and will be held on Sept. 15, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dunaway Hunting and Fishing Club. During the workshop, the group will save hemlocks at the site as well. Specific topics to be covered are: background of HWA, complete hands-on training with tips and tricks, treatment options for do-it-yourself or contracting the work, contacts for purchasing chemicals, as well as the opportunity to meet state and federal agency staff who are combating the HWA on public lands.

Staff from Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry will be leading the workshop. Partners from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Park Service will also be in attendance to assist and learn alongside the public. The workshop will qualify attendees for pesticide points (6 hrs- C02; 6 hrs- C10; 6 hrs- C12) and Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) points (6.5 hrs- Cat 1), all generally needed by government employees and environmental professionals.

Please register for the workshop by Sept. 10, by contacting Trisha Johnson with The Nature Conservancy: 931-854-1552 or trisha_johnson@tnc.org.

Lunch will be provided. Please bring water, wear long pants, bring a long sleeved shirt and wear close toed shoes with socks. All other equipment and supplies will be provided.

The Tennessee Hemlock Conservation Partnership encompasses staff from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry, the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. The group is also receiving technical assistance from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and the U.S. Forest Service. 

For information about Tennessee’s forest pests including hemlock woolly adelgid please visit www.protecttnforests.org.

For more information about Dunaway Hunting and Fishing Club please visit http://dunawayhuntfishclub.com.

Dunaway is located approximately one hour south of Cookeville, one hour north of Chattanooga, and one and a half hours south of both Nashville and Knoxville. Attendees will be provided with specific directions upon RSVP.