By 1812Blockhouse
A tiny insect with a cottony white calling card has quietly become one of the most serious threats to some of Ohio’s most scenic forests. Now, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry is rolling out a new tool to fight back.
For the first time, ODNR is offering a cost-share program aimed specifically at helping private landowners treat infestations of the hemlock woolly adelgid, or HWA. Applications are being accepted now through Friday, March 20. The program will provide $700 per acre for treatment of hemlock forest areas ranging from one to 25 acres. Landowners can complete the treatment work themselves or hire a contractor. Details and application materials are available at OhioDNR.gov/HWA.
Slow but devastating damage
The hemlock woolly adelgid is a non-native invasive insect that targets eastern hemlock trees. It appears as small, white, cotton-like masses on the underside of hemlock twigs, most visible in fall, winter, and spring. First discovered in Virginia in the 1950s, the insect has spread across much of the eastern hemlock’s natural range. It was confirmed in Ohio in 2012 and is now present in 24 counties.
The damage is slow but devastating. As the adelgid feeds, it drains nutrients from the tree. Needles discolor. Branches die back. Over several years, the tree can succumb entirely.
“This is an exciting opportunity to protect a special and ecologically valuable forest type,” said Dan Balser, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry, noting that most of Ohio’s forests are privately owned. Helping landowners manage their woodlands, he said, is essential to long-term forest health.
Why Richland County should pay attention
This program has particular relevance for north central Ohio.
While hemlock forests are not widespread across the state, where they do occur, they create cool, shaded ecosystems that support distinctive plant and wildlife communities. Those forests are a defining feature of places like Mohican State Park and the surrounding Mohican region.
For Richland County residents, Mohican is not some distant landscape. It is a backyard destination. Families hike there. Schools take field trips there. Campgrounds fill up every summer. The towering hemlocks along Clear Fork Gorge are part of what gives that region its character.
If those trees decline, the change would be visible and ecological. Hemlocks moderate stream temperatures, stabilize slopes, and provide winter shelter for wildlife. Losing them would alter entire microclimates in the gorge areas that make Mohican so distinctive.
What can be done
The good news is that effective treatments exist. The most widely used rapid-response approach involves systemic insecticides applied to individual trees. These can be delivered through soil treatments, trunk sprays, or direct trunk injection. A single application can protect a tree for up to five years.
To support proper treatment, the Division of Forestry plans to host HWA workshops in April and May. These sessions will help landowners and potential contractors understand how to identify infestations and apply treatments correctly. Information on those workshops will be posted online.
The bigger picture
Invasive species often feel abstract until the damage becomes obvious. By then, it is usually too late. This program signals a more proactive approach. It recognizes that private landowners are on the front lines of forest conservation in Ohio. With financial support and training, they can play a decisive role in protecting a tree species that defines some of the state’s most beloved landscapes.
For communities near the Mohican region and across Richland County, the fight against the hemlock woolly adelgid is not just a forestry issue. It is about safeguarding a place that generations have come to know and love.
Source: ODNR
