If You Handle or Move Hemlock Products in Maine,
This Information is for You

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an introduced insect originally from Asia, which is spreading throughout eastern North America and killing hemlock trees.  In an attempt to protect Maine’s forest resources, the State has introduced a quarantine on some hemlock forest products.  This includes a quarantine on nursery stock and seedlings administered by the Horticulture Program in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Animal and Plant Health Division and a quarantine on hemlock products and byproducts of harvests containing branch material administered by the Maine Forest Service Forest Health and Monitoring (MFS). The following summary pertains to the products regulated by the Maine Forest Service.

In March 2020, the hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine area in Maine was expanded to include 3 entire counties and 29 additional towns.  The quarantine area for hemlock woolly adelgid in Maine includes (map):

  • Androscoggin county: the Minor Civil Divisions of Auburn, Durham, Lewiston, Lisbon, Mechanic Falls, Minot, Poland and Sabattus;

  • Cumberland county:the Minor Civil Divisions of Baldwin, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Chebeague Island Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Frye Island, Gray, Gorham, Harpswell, Long Island, Naples, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Portland, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, Sebago, South Portland, Standish, Westbrook, Windham, and Yarmouth;

  • Hancock county: the Minor Civil Divisions of Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Bucksport, Castine, Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle, Ellsworth, Franklin,Fletchers Landing TWP, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Mount Desert, Orland, Penobscot, Sedgwick,Sorrento, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Sullivan, Surry, Swans Island, T7-SD BPP, T9-SD BPP, T10-SD BPP, Tremont, Trenton, Verona Island and Winter Harbor;

  • Kennebec county: the Minor Civil Divisions of Litchfield and Pittston;

  • Knox county;

  • Lincoln county;

  • Sagadahoc county;

  • Waldo county: the Minor Civil Divisions of Belfast, Belmont, Frankfort, Islesboro, Lincolnville, Morrill, Northport, Prospect, Searsmont, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville and Waldo; and

  • York County.

The quarantine affects hemlock products with needles and branches in the following ways:

  • Hemlock products with needles and branches may be moved freely within the quarantine zone (barring other pertinent quarantines).
  • Loads of hemlock products with needles and branches from within the quarantine zone should be secured such that regulated material does not leave the vehicle when it is transiting areas outside of the quarantine zone. Such material must be delivered to a facility with an agreement with the MFS to receive regulated material.
  • Hemlock roundwood without top material (needles and branches) is not regulated and can move freely from the quarantined area.

To obtain a copy of the quarantine rules for HWA, go to:
     DACF Plant Health Statutes and Rules
For a map and list of infested counties go to:
     Maps
      Lists
Or for hard copies of these documents, call the Maine Forest Service at (207) 287-2431. 

For further information, please contact:

Colleen Teerling
Maine Forest Service Insect and Disease Lab
168 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0168
phone: (207) 287-3096
fax: (207) 287-2432
www.maineforestservice.gov