Identifying the Eastern Hemlocks on your property is easy: Like White Pines, they hold the vast majority of their needles over Winter.
Red Pines are similar, and may be under even greater "harvesting" pressure than the White Pines. Everything "pine" that follows applies to both pine species.
Eastern Hemlock needles are only about 1/20th the length of NH's pine needles. You'll know if just one tiny needle drops into your coffee, as it will make it undrinkable.
They grow as tall as White- and Red-Pines, but are generally bushier. They make a good privacy fence, shading-out other species that happen to seed under them. Notice that only Eastern Hemlock seedlings prosper.
This is the first year
our Eastern Hemlocks have shown that "white-paint" evidence indicating a widespread attack of the invasive
Wooly Adelgid insect.
According to the article below, these affected trees probably won't live five more years, so our own "privacy fence" is endangered. (Over decades, many seedlings were successfully transplanted by yours-truly).
I've encouraged White Pine growth on our lakefront acre, especially as most of our White Pine were "harvested in error" 70 years ago. Two years ago, our next-door neighbor
also lost a thriving White Pine grove to loggers "in error".
The now-missing grove is today a grassy lawn.
Secondly, lakes still surrounded by mature White Pines are cleaner, and suffer less "natural" erosion.
The reason is also clear: Naturally-shed White Pine needles interlock on shore, and can build up several inches of natural mulch. A common mulch is shredded Cypress, but Cypress "harvesting" damages their environment indefinitely.
In short, it is urged to plan ahead. It takes some time for a tree to grow to a height that will shade you and your grandchildren.
https://www.wired.com/story/eastern-...uld-save-them/