HEMLOCK, THEY PUT INTO THE P TWIG AND SUCK OUT THE STARCHES THE TREE HAS STORED FOR THEIR OWN USE.

HEMLOCKS MAKE THEIR NEW GROWTH AT THE END OF THE TWIGS SO THEY CAN'T GET THE SAP OUT TO MAKE NEW GROWTH AND WHEN THE OLD NEEDLES DIE, WE THINK THE TREES STARVE.

>> HEMLOCKS ARE WHAT WE CALL A FOUNDATION SPECIES.

IT'S THE FOUNDATIONAL SPECIES IN THAT ECOSYSTEM THAT ALL THE OTHER PLANTS AND ANIMALS ACTUALLY RELY ON IN THAT FOREST.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THE TREE THAT IS DECLINING.

IT'S ALL THE BIRDS, ARTHROPODS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TREES, STREAMS ARE WARMING UP IMPACTING THE FISH SPECIES AND THE TREES.

WE ARE LOSING AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM THAT IS ESSENTIALLY IRREPLACEABLE.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS IN NEW YORK IS THAT WE HAVE MORE EASTERN HEMLOCK THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE U.S. AND MORTALITY WITH THIS PEST IS SLOW BUT VERY HIGH.

>> HEMLOCKS ARE REALLY BORE TO WATER QUALITY AND IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION AND A LOT OF PLACES THAT THEY GROW BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SHALLOW ROOT SYSTEM AND ABLE TO ABSORB THE NUTRIENTS, THEY SLOW DOWN SNOW MELT IN THE STREAM SLOWING DOWN THE DISCHARGE AND RUNOFF AND THE NUTRIENT RUNOFF AS WELL.

>> IN TERMS OF THE VALUE OF THE HEMLOCKS, IN TERMS OF THE HERITAGE OF WHAT THE LAKE LOOKS LIKE, THE LANDSCAPE, THERE IS THAT VALUE.

THE ECONOMICS TO THE FISHERIES, THE VISITATION TO THE LAKE AND ALSO THE PROPERTY VALUES FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO HAVE A SLICE OF PARADISE HERE.

IN SKANEATELES LAKE, ONE THIRD OF THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE LAKE HAS RAVINES FULL OF HEMLOCKS AND WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE HEMLOCK CREATE THESE GHOST TREES.

IF WE LOSE THE HEMLOCKS, WE LOSE THE LAKE.

>> WE WORK WITH A LOT OF FOLKS AROUND THE STATE.

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM.

CLASSICAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL IS USING NATURAL ENEMIES FROM AN ORGANISMS NATIVE ECOSYSTEM TO TRY TO CONTROL IT IN A NOVEL AREA, A NEW SPOT WHERE IT'S CAUSING PROBLEMS.

WE RELY ON PARTNERS AROUND THE STATE THAT ARE DOING CHEMICAL TREATMENTS.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR INTEGRATIVE PEST MANAGEMENT TO TREAT THE TREES TO KEEP THEM ALIVE IN THE SHORT-TERM SO WE CAN GET BIO CONTROL ESTABLISHED ON THE LANDSCAPE TO HELP PROTECT THE TREES IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE WAY ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE.

>> I'M APPLYING TWO CHEMICALS.

ONE IS VERY VERY WATER SOLUBLE SO IT'S GOING TO GET IN THE TREE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THE OTHER CHEMICAL IS AN IS GOING TO TAKE LONGER TO GET IT FULLY TO INOCULATE THE TREE BUT IT WILL GIVE YOU A LONGER TERM VERSUS THE FIRST ONE IS ONLY GOING TO GIVE YOU A YEAR-LONG.

THE COMBINATION SHOULD GIVE YOU AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.

WE ARE REALLY FORTUNATE AT THE HEMLOCK INITIATIVE TO HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PARTNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PASSION THAT WE DO TO TRY TO PRESERVE THE ECOSYSTEMS.