ESFPA E-News

Volume 6 - Issue 26

July 1st, 2025

ESFPA Comments on Mandatory GHG Rulemaking

Today ESFPA submitted comments on DEC's latest proposed rulemaking on Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting. We made compelling arguments on how biogenic sources of emissions should be accounted for and how some of our manufacturing processes should be exempt from the rule. Thanks to a lot of members for your thoughtful input!

Click the link below to read the full comments:

ESFPA Presents at WPDC

Last Thursday, ESFPA Executive Director John Bartow attended a Wood Products Development Council (WPDC) Meeting at the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets in Albany. During the meeting he gave a presentation on the State of the Forest & Wood Product Industry in New York, in which he highlighted where our sector is today and the challenges we are facing, along with providing very high-level thoughts on what we can look forward to in the future.

John also urged WPDC to take action and begin to think seriously about what they can do financially to help benefit the wood products sector.

Click the link below to view the full PowerPoint presentation:

View Presentation

Help Us Bring Great Giveaways to Woodsmen’s Field Days

As we gear up for this year’s Woodsmen’s Field Days, we’re planning to order some new promotional items to give away at our booth on behalf of both the Empire State Forest Products Association and New York Logger Training. These giveaways are a great way to connect with attendees, raise awareness about our work, and show appreciation for our community. To help make this happen, we’re looking for sponsors to help cover the cost of the items, and we’d be incredibly grateful for your support.

Here’s what we’re hoping to order:

ESFPA logo pencils – $295 for 500
ESFPA logo sticky notes – $245 for 500

We’d also love to bring back our NYLT hats, which have always been a huge hit at Boonville. We’ve run out of them and unfortunately, they’re not in the current NYLT budget. These hats are especially popular with loggers and help promote the training program, so we’re hoping to get more in time for the event.

NYLT hats – $6,000 for 500

If your organization is interested in sponsoring any of these items, either fully or partially, please reach out to me.

Your support would make a big difference and help us continue to show up strong for the industry we all care about. Thank you for your consideration!

Tax Package Running Up to July 4 Deadline

It is a big week in the U.S. Senate as the upper chamber moved to clear the budget reconciliation bill—H.R. 1. Updated text of the bill was released late Friday night and Senators began on Monday with the final vote, today tied at 50-50 and Vice President Vance casting the 51st vote in favor.

The latest text released Friday restores and makes permanent the research and development tax credit, 100 percent bonus depreciation, the Section 199A deduction for S-Corporations and a $40,000 State and Local Tax deduction.

With the Senate passing the measure, the House is prepared to return to D.C. today to take it up as early as tomorrow.

EUDR Reportedly on List of Non-Tariff Barriers to be Addressed with the EU

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a deal on nontariff trade issues imposed by the European Union, including the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), appears to be on the horizon. While it is unknown exactly what will be in a final deal when and if it emerges, the Hardwood Federation has confirmed that the U.S. government is pushing hard to ensure a delay of EUDR implementation until the end of 2026 and eliminate the geolocation requirements in the rule.

This issue has been a key advocacy effort for ESFPA and our national affiliates, working in close coordination with the Hardwood Federation, National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) for at least two years; AHEC and NAFO took the lead on educating EU governments and forests and wood products partners on the impracticality of the regulation.

Most recently, the ESFPA joined a number of our allied associations on June 5th to push trade negotiators from the US Trade Representative and the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture to make this a key issue in ongoing discussions. This built upon conversations we have had with these departments over the last few years…and under two Administrations!

Together our efforts clearly had an impact as all the negotiators are fully aware of the extreme burdens the EUDR geolocation requirement puts on the US wood products industry, including hardwood lumber, logs, and products, and have made it a key discussion point with the Europeans.