Old Grove and Hemlock Protection

The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau is one of the few remaining areas with intact old growth hemlock forest. HCLT has been working to be at the forefront of hemlock preservation efforts in hopes of keeping hemlocks a part of our landscape. Thanks to some generous donations and grants, HCLT has successfully protected over 10 places with living hemlock stands, including the current world record eastern hemlock known as "The Cheoah" (pictured left) and some of the last old growth hemlocks left. HCLT is trying to be proactive by assessing each property we protect for viable living hemlocks and use adaptive management techniques to determine which efforts we can undertake to best save as many stands and trees as possible.