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Shenandoah National Park

Battling A Pest To Save A Majestic Tree: The Eastern Hemlock Forests Of The Park System

The spine of the Appalachian Range runs north and south through the Mid- and South-Atlantic states, a rumpled stretch of mountains that long has provided a corridor for species. One uninvited species, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, arrived in 1951, and since then has attacked hemlock forests once commonplace in Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Since 1988 the National Park Service has been battling the tiny insect, and has met with varying success in those three parks. While much work remains to be done, there is optimism some of the hemlock stands will be saved. In the following stories, we take a look at the campaign.

Fire Conditions Merit Bans, Restrictions In Shenandoah And Great Smoky Mountains National Parks

With wildfires burning in many places of the Southeast, and extremely warm and dry conditions in the forests, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has banned all campfires and use of fire grills in the park, while to the north in Shenandoah National Park fire restrictions have been put in place in the South District.

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