Forest Service Public Update
Recreation Information - By Sherry Payne

The Brasstown Bald Visitor Center will be opening on the weekends starting April 12 and daily starting May 25. The Brasstown Bald Cabin Store will also be opening this year.

Blue Ridge Ranger District - By Jim Wentworth

In March, District employees continued control efforts for the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA), a non-native insect pest that is impacting the area's hemlocks. Chemical soil injection of selected hemlocks has been completed on over 500 trees from 9 areas in Towns and Union County. This treatment, which focuses on small groups of hemlocks across the Forest, will continue through the spring.

In addition, predator beetle releases began in mid-March with beetles produced from labs at Young Harris College, Clemson University, North Georgia College and State University, and the University of Georgia. Beetles have been released in the Coopers Creek, Sea Creek, Waters Creek, Noontootla Creek, Dockery Lake, and Blackwell Creek Hemlock Conservation Areas. These beetles are host specific and will only prey on hemlock woolly adelgid. Several species of beetles are currently being tested in to see if they will be effective in reducing the damage caused by the adelgid. For more information contact, Jim Wentworth at jwentworth@ fs.fed.us

Etowah River Watershed Project - By Jim Wentworth

Blue Ridge Ranger District employees with assistance from employees from the Chattooga River Ranger District and Supervisor's Office began the layout and marking of the stands in the Etowah River watershed project. This project is located near Camp Frank D. Merrill in Lumpkin County.

The project includes first time thinnings of young loblolly pine stands for forest health, table mountain pine, oak/oakpine restoration, canebrake restoration, early successional habitat development, soil and water improvements, and stream habitat improvement. This is a multi-year project that will result in improved forest conditions when completed. For more information, contact John Westbrook at jdwestbrook@ fs.fed.us or Rachelle Powell at rachellepowell@fs.fed.us