ESFPA E-News

Volume 6 - Issue 40

October 7th, 2025

ESFPA Concludes 2025 Regional Meetings and Fall Board Meeting

Last week, ESFPA concluded our 2025 Regional Meetings, hosting five in-person sessions across New York State and one virtual option. In total, we connected with nearly 100 members and partners from across the forest products community.

This year, we introduced a more casual meeting format to encourage networking and open conversation. Each location brought its own perspectives and priorities, but three topics consistently took center stage: trade and tariffs, workforce development, and climate. These discussions are helping guide ESFPA’s advocacy focus and goals for the coming year.

The Regional Meetings concluded with our Board of Directors meeting. Based on the votes from members at the Regional Meetings, the Board was able to reelect eight Directors for 3-year terms beginning in 2026: Kevin Brown (WJ Cox), Mike McLarty (Finch Paper), Sally Bogdanovitch (Bay Pond Park), Patt Buff (B&B Lumber), Dr. Rene Germain (SUNY ESF), Ty Bowgren (Wagner Group), Damon Hartman (Prentiss & Carlisle), and Tom Gilman (F&W Forestry Services).

We also extended our gratitude to two departing Board members for their years of service and dedication. Sue Keister of Keister Consulting is stepping down after 13 years on the Board, while Betsy Lesnikoski of Burlington Electric Department is retiring following an accomplished career and 7 years of Board service. Their presence and insight have been invaluable to ESFPA, and they will be greatly missed. We’re pleased to welcome Seth Clifford, who will fill Betsy’s seat on behalf of Burlington Electric for the remainder of her term.

Thank you to all who attended, participated, and contributed to this year’s Regional Meetings. We hope everyone who attended found the discussions valuable and engaging. If you have additional feedback or ideas for next year, we’d love to hear from you!

Honoring the Legacy of Dennis Phillips

Last Friday, ESFPA had the privilege of honoring the late Dennis Phillips with a tree planting ceremony at Crandell Park in Glens Falls. Around 70 family members, friends, and colleagues gathered to celebrate Dennis’s life and the incredible impact he made on our community. His daughter Abigail and ESFPA Executive Director John Bartow both shared heartfelt remarks reflecting on Dennis’s life and impact. In his memory, a sugar maple tree was planted, which we hope will grow into a beautiful place for family and friends to visit and remember Dennis for years to come.

Dennis Phillips, who passed away on February 7th, served as ESFPA Counsel and Director of the Empire State Forestry Foundation. He was a true icon of New York’s forest products industry and a respected member of the Adirondack community. Dennis played a key role in the modern creation and re-incorporation of ESFPA in 1982, helping to shape the foundation of the organization we know today. Over his 50-year legal career, he practiced forest and land use law, representing many ESFPA landowners and businesses with professionalism, insight, and integrity.

Those who knew Dennis remember him as an exceptional professional and a kind and genuine person. Beyond his many accomplishments, he was deeply devoted to his family and community. The tree planted in his honor stands as a lasting reminder of his strength, dedication, and the legacy he leaves behind.

ESFPA YouTube Update

We’re excited to share that our second video is now live on ESFPA's new YouTube channel! Following the launch of our channel last week, we’re continuing to use this platform to keep members informed and connected with organization updates as well as updates from across the forest products industry.

We’re grateful for the positive feedback and support from members as we grow this new platform. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss future videos. Stay tuned for more weekly updates!

Click the link below to watch our latest video:

Video

ESFPA Comments on the Draft NYS Energy Plan

Yesterday, ESFPA submitted our comments on the Draft NYS Energy Plan. We believe that New York’s energy and climate goals must be realistic and achievable, with a focus on affordability, reliability, and practical pathways for renewable energy deployment. While the Plan acknowledges challenges in meeting the CLCPA targets, we stress the importance of balancing ambitious climate action with economic competitiveness and energy system reliability.

Our forests and wood products play a critical role in climate mitigation, sequestering over 27 million metric tons of CO2 annually, while supporting sustainable forest management, jobs, and renewable energy opportunities. We urge the Plan to recognize the value of forest-based biomass as feedstocks for renewable fuels, advance carbon capture and bioeconomy solutions, and apply life-cycle assessments in buildings, transportation, and industrial processes. We support policies that retain and grow forest-based manufacturing and view our forests and wood products as natural, sustainable solutions that provide climate, economic, and social benefits for all New Yorkers.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.