Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Confirmed Near Tionesta
The invasive insect from Asia was found in the West Fork area of the Tionesta Research Natural Area by DCNR personnel on November 20 and confirmed by the state Department of Agriculture on Monday.
The hemlock woolly adelgid threatens trees and the biodiversity they support in parks and forests, according to the US Forest Service. An infestation causes environmental changes for some wildlife, fish and plants because of increased light and warmer temperatures when hemlock trees die.
The insect was found in Cook Forest and Clear Creek state parks this past spring, and on the forest near the Clarion and Allegheny rivers and Webbs Ferry.
The forest service is partnering with The Nature Conservancy, DCNR, game commission, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to develop a strategy for the high Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania and New York.
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