June 10, 2026
Lake George, NY (June 10, 2026) – In the next step to combat hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) in the Lake George watershed, the Lake George Association, a founding member of the Lake George Hemlock Coalition, recently signed a contract with the New York State Hemlock Initiative (NYSHI) at Cornell University to hire a seasonal technician, who will help survey for and treat hemlocks infested with HWA.
Hemlock woolly adelgid was first discovered in the Lake George watershed in 2020. While HWA is a terrestrial invasive species, its negative impacts on hemlock forests could lead to detrimental water quality decline if left unchecked. In 2023, the Lake George Hemlock Coalition (LGHC) was founded by twelve different nonprofits, research institutions and public agencies that pooled their expertise and resources together to identify priority hemlock areas with the goal of creating healthy tree reservoirs for future generations.
A NYSHI two-person conservation team leads the Lake George Hemlock Coalition’s efforts to survey and treat this invasive insect, in close cooperation with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. To-date, 62% of priority hemlock areas identified by the LGHC have been surveyed, and 38% of these areas have been found to have HWA. In the last two years, approximately 225 acres of important habitat and public recreation areas have been treated to protect the trees. The addition of a third seasonal technician this year, funded by the LGA, will expand these efforts. Another seasonal position is being funded by the Lake George Park Commission and East Shore Schroon Lake Association.
“The long-term health of Lake George’s hemlock forests and water quality depends on our actions today,” said Lake George Association President & CEO Dr. Brendan Wiltse. “We are proud to be a part of the Lake George Hemlock Coalition’s important work of educating the public and encouraging them to participate in the fight against hemlock woolly adelgid.”
In addition to surveying and treating trees within priority hemlock areas, the Coalition also provides information about HWA to landowners and the public, and conducts research on how best to protect hemlocks in the Lake George watershed. In fall 2025, the LGHC issued a new method to make reporting of HWA easier for all land users. Additionally, NYSHI leads a program of releasing natural predators of the terrestrial invasive, to serve as a biological control. Long-term, the hope is that populations of these beneficial insects will grow and keep HWA populations in check, if enough hemlock trees can be kept alive in the meantime.
“Hemlock forests in the Lake George watershed are some of the finest examples of dense, intact hemlock forests that I have seen in 35 years of working with this species,” said NYSHI Director Mark Whittmore. “Thanks to the Coalition, this region has an action plan for keeping healthy priority hemlock areas across the watershed.”
Residents and visitors can help in the effort to protect hemlock trees by looking for HWA when they are out in the woods this summer. If you see tiny, white, cottony fuzz at the base of hemlock needles where the needle joins the twig, it might be HWA. If you think a tree might have HWA, take a picture of the branch, note where you found it and email the photo to [email protected], or report it to iMapInvasives.
This project is supported by funding from the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), administered by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project advances shared efforts to protect water quality and ecosystem health in the Lake Champlain Basin.
For any questions, please contact LGA's VP of Communications Tim Behuniak: [email protected].
About the Lake George Association (LGA)
Founded in 1885 as the nation’s first lake conservation organization, the LGA represents thousands of constituents as one unified voice speaking for the protection of the Queen of American Lakes. Through science, solutions, community mobilization, strategic partnerships and advocacy, the LGA leads a Continuous Cycle of Lake Protection that safeguards Lake George’s water quality and clarity forever. Together as a community, we are the Voice of Lake George. Learn more: https://lakegeorgeassociation.org.
About the Lake George Hemlock Coalition (LGHC)
The Lake George Hemlock Coalition is a collection of partners working together to protect hemlocks in the Lake George watershed. The partners include Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program of The Nature Conservancy, East Shore Schroon Lake Association, Lake Champlain Lake George Regional Planning Board, Lake George Association, Lake George Land Conservancy, Lake George Park Commission, Lyme Timber Company, NYS College of Environmental Science and Forestry, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Hemlock Initiative of Cornell University, Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District.
