Connestee Falls
Natural Resources Stewardship Committee
Hemlock Restoration
Protecting our vital hemlock population is one of CF's longest-running conservation efforts
2003-2016
Early Intervention
In 2003, CFPOA participated in a free program offered by the North Carolina Division of Forest Services to promote best forest management practices. The community obtained the services of Ed Hicks of "Wildwood Consulting" to conduct a study of the CF forests. The forest survey identified an infestation of Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a pest that infests and kills hemlock trees, a keystone forest species. The CF Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) and Liz Garrison, a member of the CFPOA Board of Directors, quickly launched a volunteer-based hemlock survey to guide the POA on which of our common areas and which trees in those areas should get priority attention. The CF ESC, POA Board of Directors, General Manager, Rick Wade, and his assistant, Earl Jenkins, designed a hemlock treatment program for the community, which remained active from 2004-2016.
2007
Sassie Beetles
Volunteers for the CF Environmental Stewardship Committee distributed 2,000 sassie beetles to control HWA. In this photo, Joey Galloway, CF golf course maintenance superintendent, ties a sprig carrying about 30 beetles to infested Hemlocks near Lake Ticoa while Barbara Cagney (center) transfers sassies one-by-one with an artist's brush from a container held by Iris Durand. The CFPOA purchased the poppy-seed-sized black beetles, which feed on adelgid egg masses, as part of its campaign to save Connestee hemlocks.
April 2021
Hemlock Inventory
Members of the CF Trail Stewards, under the guidance of local non-profit, Hemlock Restoration Initiative (HRI), conducted a comprehensive inventory of hemlocks along the 18+ miles of CF hiking trails to assess the number and overall health of hemlocks within POA properties. A total of 2,461 hemlocks were counted, of which almost half were young saplings less than 4.5 feet tall. The largest hemlocks identified during the survey were located within the Amakola Trail System. One Amakola Trail hemlock, nicknamed “Grandmother Hemlock”, measured 38 inches (3.2 feet) in diameter and, according to USFS, could be close to 200 years old.
Gratitude
“…it is important to recognize the foresight of past-POA Board member Liz Garrison, who, in 2004 in association with the complete Board, recommended treatment of hemlocks against the HWA infestation along existing hiking trails and roadway easements. The recent hemlock inventory revealed that the majority of the larger hemlocks, size classes greater that 5 inches DBH, that survive today were treated under the 2004 hemlock treatment initiative. These hemlocks are identified in the field by red tags attached to the trees by Connestee Falls resident Dick Fudge and other Hiking Trail Club members. A huge “THANK YOU” goes out to Liz, Dick, and all Connestee residents who supported this critically important hemlock treatment initiative. Their understanding of the destructive impacts of HWA on hemlocks and their treatment work saved our surviving larger hemlocks.” CF News, On the Trail, Lisa Smith, May 2021
2021
"Hemlock Friends"
In spring and fall 2021, HRI-trained CF resident volunteers, the "Hemlock Friends", conducted chemical treatment using the "soil drench" method on hemlocks at the Main and East Fork gates, and along CF Oakanoah, Equestrian, and Amakola hiking trails. This herculean volunteer effort, comprised of 21 CF resident volunteers led by resident Lisa Smith, resulted in:
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1,024
CF Hemlocks Treated for HWA
(Hemlocks located along CF waterways were professionally treated to eliminate the potential for impacts to the stream ecosystem.)
2021-2023
Thousands Saved
CF "Hemlock Friends" continued their volunteer efforts to treat CF hemlocks along additional hiking trail segments, common areas, and community right-of-ways. NRSC Board member, Roger Witmer, supported by CFPOA, began offering free residential treatments to homeowners interested in protecting their hemlocks on their own properties.
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Total hemlocks treated from 2021-2023:
2,122!
2025
GPS Mapping
NRSC Board members began using the CalTopo app to geo-tag CF hemlocks. The resulting GPS inventory will allow NRSC to better monitor treatment efficacy, prevent HWA spread, and manage long-term forest health. It will enable precise, repeated follow-up assessments, provide data for forecasting, improve resource allocation, and ensure accurate record-keeping for future treatments.
2026
Re-treat
Hemlocks must be treated every 5 years for protection against HWA. In March 2026, HRI returned to CF for volunteer refresher training. CF "Hemlock Friends" volunteers, trained by HRI and led by NRSC, re-treated hemlocks located at the CF Main Gate, and along the Oakanoah, Equestrian, and Amakola Trail Systems.
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Total hemlocks treated in Spring 2026:
1,081
Proven Results
In 2022, the NRSC commissioned Equinox Environmental to conduct an inventory of Connestee Falls' natural resources. The resulting Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) report noted that, although HWA has become a widespread problem across southeastern landscapes, scattered hemlock stands have largely avoided its effects and could serve as future sources of new trees. The NRI report highlighted that CF "Hemlock Friends" treatments have been successful in preserving mature, cone-bearing trees in Connestee Falls, bolstering the integrity of the our forests. The report also concluded that "Continuing treatments will only help promote the long-term survival of new generations of hemlocks." (Equinox NRI Report, page 32)
Cautionary Tale
Hemlock stands decimated by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) often resemble “ghost forests,” with grey, standing dead trees, sparse and brittle crowns, and extensive needle loss. From a distance, what was once a dense, dark-green canopy appears thin and grey. While most hemlock stands in CF remain intact, those along the Salola Trail have been heavily impacted, and large standing dead hemlocks now dot the landscape. Although the acidic cove environment along Salola Trail is ideal habitat for hemlocks, only a few mature trees with diameters greater than 20 inches remain. Because the trail did not exist during the initial chemical treatments in 2004-2007, this area did not receive early intervention against HWA, which may have contributed to its current condition. Salola Trail was treated for HWA in 2023, and the remaining hemlocks currently appear free of infestation. With continued forest stewardship, the hemlock groves along Salola Trail have the potential to recover.