Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Quarantine
General Information
Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a destructive insect from Asia, is established in parts of southern Vermont. As a consequence, hemlock products from infested counties are subject to restrictions on movement within Vermont under an existing quarantine. This rule also regulates the movement of hemlock from other states into Vermont. In addition, several states, and Canada, have quarantines that regulate the movement of some Vermont hemlock raw materials.
The objective of Vermont’s quarantine is to slow the spread of hemlock woolly adelgid to new locations. Hemlock is the state’s 7th most common tree and is important to the forest products industry, so this exotic insect will have a major impact as it spreads.
The quarantine restrictions on hemlock nursery stock and seedlings are administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Restrictions on hemlock raw materials or wood products, described below, are administered by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
For the complete text of Vermont’s quarantine: State of Vermont Joint Quarantine #2 - Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
For a map of Infested Counties, go to the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Distribution Maps website, scroll down to the list of "Maps showing newly infested counties" and click on the most recent date.
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Information for Sawmills, Concentration Yards, Wood Energy Facilities, and Other Sites in Vermont that Receive Hemlock Raw Materials
Vermont’s hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine applies to facilities that use, store, or manufacture products using hemlock raw materials from infested counties in Vermont or other states. (New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts are all infested states.)
Vermont facilities may continue to receive hemlock raw materials, year-round, as long as the site has a compliance agreement with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Hemlock raw materials include hemlock logs, pulpwood, bark, or whole-tree chips and mixed whole-tree chips which may include hemlock.
The HWA Quarantine Compliance Agreement is straightforward and simple. It requires that records be kept of hemlock shipments received, that inspections of hemlock trees be allowed on the premises, and that an infestation may be treated, should one be found. We hope these targeted inspections will allow hemlock materials to be used freely and with less concern about moving a harmful pest.
For a copy of a standard compliance agreement: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Quarantine Compliance Agreement.
Information for Loggers, Truckers, Foresters, and others that Ship Hemlock Raw Materials Originating from Vermont
Vermont’s quarantine applies to hemlock raw materials from infested counties that will be shipped to other counties in Vermont. It has no restrictions on moving hemlock products within any county or on moving products from any other Vermont counties. Sawmills and other facilities that receive raw materials may be requesting more specific information on the origin of hemlock logs, whole tree chips, or other raw materials when they are delivered.
Hemlock woolly adelgid regulations vary from state to state. In our region, Maine and Canada also have hemlock woolly adelgid quarantines. If shipping hemlock materials out-of-state, check on quarantine restrictions in the state or province receiving the material.
Contact Us for More Information or Assistance
For more information about this quarantine, details about how it applies to your situation or, to put a compliance agreement in place, if needed:
Paul Frederick, Wood Utilization Specialist Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation Phone: 802-777-5247 paul.frederick@vermont.gov Kathy Decker, Forest Protection Program Manager Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation Phone: 802-751-0117 kathy.decker@vermont.gov