Hemlock Conservation Areas

Hemlock Conservation Areas (HCAs) are areas with a significant or valuable hemlock component where some HWA intervention–either chemical, biological, or both–have taken place.  While some HCAs were established a decade or more ago, others have been established since the creation of HRI, and many of the older HCAs have recently been expanded to include additional trees.  This means that the health of the hemlocks in these HCAs varies. We are actively evaluating the condition of the trees in established HCAs to inform what additional intervention is needed moving forward.

The sites listed below contain one or more HCA. To date, HRI and our federal, state, and non-profit partners have established over 350 HCAs in North Carolina. (North Carolina’s national parks also have a number of HCAs that are being actively managed, but are not listed below.)

List of sites containing HCAs by county

*Properties include Carolina Hemlock
**Properties where recoveries and/or releases of Laricobius beetles have occurred

Alleghany

New River State Park*/**
Stone Mountain State Park

Ashe

Bluff Mountain and Phoenix Preserves*
Mt. Jefferson State Natural Area*
New River State Park*
Pond Mountain Game Land**
Three Top Mountain Game Land*

Avery

Gill State Forest**
Grandfather Mountain State Park**
Mountain Bog State Natural Area**
Elk Hollow Preserve (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy) **

Buncombe

Big Ivy Community Center**
Christmount Conference Center*/**
Montford Park**
Montreat Retreat Association*/**
Town of Montreat**
NC Arboretum*/**
Pisgah National Forest – Appalachian Ranger District*
Pisgah National Forest – Pisgah Ranger District
Sandy Mush Game Land**
University of North Carolina Asheville
Violet Hills and Green Hills Cemeteries
Warren Wilson College**

Burke

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina Preserves**
Pisgah Game Land – Linville River Tract**
Pisgah National Forest – Grandfather Ranger District**
South Mountains State Park*
Table Rock Fish Hatchery**
Lake James State Park

Caldwell

Buffalo Cove Game Land*
Fort Defiance
King’s Creek Research Station
Pisgah Game Land**
Pisgah National Forest – Grandfather Ranger District
Tuttle Educational State Forest

Cherokee

EBCI Tribal Reserve
Nantahala National Forest – Tusquitee Ranger District**
Piney Knob Trails**
Valley River Cemetery

Clay

Nantahala National Forest – Tusquitee Ranger District

Graham

Nantahala National Forest – Cheoah Ranger District**

Haywood

Chestnut Mountain
Cold Mountain Game Land*/**
Lake Logan Conference Center**
Pisgah National Forest – Appalachian and Pisgah Ranger Districts*

Henderson

Bell Park
Carl Sandburg Home**
Carolina Memorial Sanctuary**
DuPont State Recreational Forest*/**
Florence Nature, Hickory Nut Gap Teaching & Research, & Wildcat Rock Preserves*
Green River Game Land**
Holmes Educational State Forest
Jackson Park
North River Farms
Pisgah National Forest – Pisgah Ranger District**

Jackson

Canaan Land Christian Retreat
Chinquapin Mountain Community
Highlands Cashiers Land Trust Preserves**
Nantahala National Forest – Nantahala Ranger District* 

Johnston

Clemmons Educational State Forest

Macon

Highlands Biological Station**
Highlands Cashiers Land Trust Preserves*/**
Nantahala National Forest – Nantahala Ranger District*/**
Needmore Game Land
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center*

Madison

French Broad Crossing Community**
Sandy Mush Game Land**

McDowell

Armstrong Fish Hatchery**
Lake James State Park
Lake Tahoma Community**
Marion Fish Hatchery**
McDowell Technical Community College**
Pisgah Game Land -Black Bear Tract**
Pisgah National Forest – Grandfather Ranger District*/**
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Preserve**

Mitchell

Big Rock Creek Preserve**

Polk

Green River Bluffs/Mill Spring Preserve**
Green River Game Land**

Rutherford

Chimney Rock State Park*/**
South Mountains Game Land*/**

Stokes

Hanging Rock State Park*/**

Surry

Mitchell River Game Land

Swain

Nantahala National Forest – Nantahala Ranger District
Needmore Game Land

Transylvania

Allison-Deaver House
Camp Carolina
Camp High Rocks
Connestee Falls Community**
Conserving Carolina Preserve
DuPont State Recreational Forest*/**
Glen Cannon Community
Gorges State Park**
Headwaters State Forest**
Pisgah National Forest – Pisgah Ranger District*/**
Richland Creek Farm**
Setzer Fish Hatchery**
Sherwood Forest Community

Wake

Hemlock Bluffs Preserve

Watauga

Blue Ridge Conservancy Conservation Campus**
Middle Fork Greenway
Valle Crucis Conference Center**

Wilkes

Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest
Stone Mountain State Park**
Thurmond-Chatham Game Land**

Yancey

Pisgah National Forest – Appalachian Ranger District**