ESFPA E-News

Happy Holidays from ESFPA

As the year draws to a close, we at the Empire State Forest Products Association want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you and your loved ones. Your support has been invaluable to advancing our mission. We take great pride in being part of New York’s forest and wood products community, working to create a sustainable future for our forests, supply chains, and the generations that will follow.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

ESFPA 2024 Recognition

Last week at our annual holiday dinner, ESFPA presented Mark Mowrey with the Neil B. Gutchess Memorial Award. This award recognizes individuals and/or organizations who make outstanding contributions to the forests and wood products industry in New York State and beyond. ESFPA has elected Mark Mowrey as this year's recipient since he has truly been an inspiration with the work he has done over the years.

In 1997, Mark Mowrey, his family, and a few others started Log-a-Load for Kids at the Boonville Woodsmen's Field Days. Log-a-Load for Kids provides the opportunity for loggers and any forest products businesses to donate the value of a load of logs (or any amount), to a nearby Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to be used in treating ill and injured children. 

For the last 27 years, Mark and his band of volunteers have developed Log-a-Load for Kids New York into a yearlong and Boonville-focused fundraiser. Today, Log-a-Load For Kids New York raises just over $20,000/year and supports 8 Children Miracle Network Hospitals throughout the state. Since 2015, Mark and his volunteers have raised nearly $490,000.

ESFPA would like to recognize and thank Mark Mowrey for his dedication, hard work, and the positive impact he has made, not only for the industry, but for the many children he has helped during his time with Log-a-Load for Kids. 

Last week, we also acknowledged Tim Stocker of Sylvamo and Jack Santamour of LandVest who are stepping down from the ESFPA Board of Directors. 

We'd like to extend our gratitude for their time, dedication, and contributions to the ESFPA Board of Directors. Their leadership, insight, and commitment have been instrumental in guiding our mission and advancing our goals. As they step down from their positions on the Board, we’d like to thank them for everything they have done during their time with ESFPA, and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!

Governor Hochul Vetoes in Support of ESFPA Positions

Over the weekend, Governor Hochul vetoed two bills that ESFPA had encouraged her to veto. The first was A. 9711 The Tropical Rainforest Economic & Environmental Sustainability Act (TREES Act) requiring that companies contracting with the State do not contribute to tropical forest degradation or deforestation directly or through their supply chains. ESFPA, together with the American Wood Council and the National Retail Lumber Association, had encouraged the Governor to veto this legislation based on the fact that New York already prohibits State and local governments from procuring tropical hardwoods and that the certification and supply chain traceability requirements would be a burden and expense on companies wanting to conduct business with New York.  Both of these reasons were cited in her veto message.

Governor Hochul also vetoed the Wrongful Death legislation A. 9232-B which would radically expand the types of damages awarded in wrongful death lawsuits. Actuarial analysis finds that this bill will have a 40% increase in medical professional liability premiums and personal automobile liability and small business general liability insurance premiums would increase as well – by 6% and 10.9% respectively. This all amounts to an added $2.7 billion in annual premiums paid by our doctors, hospitals, residents, and businesses. ESFPA had joined with 34 other trade associations across the state in urging the Governor’s veto.

We are still awaiting the Governor’s action on the Climate Superfund legislation S. 2129-B which would impose fees on oil and natural gas producers based on their extraction of oil and gas over the past 30 years.  Under this legislation, New York State would be imposing a $75 billion assessment ($3 billion/year for 25 years) on the energy sector during a time of heightened concerns of affordability facing households and businesses alike. While opinions may differ as to how the cost of this legislation may be directly allocated, there is concern that these payments could impact the state’s overall economy and individual households.

Keeping a Pulse on Forests & Climate

As we near the end of the 2024, we've been reflecting on long-term trends. If you're interested, check out "Keeping a Pulse on Forests and Climate", published in the December issue of Northern Logger Magazine.

The article identifies recurring themes over the past year in The Pulse, including trends in climate and weather, advancements in carbon markets, a record year for wildfire, and more. Many of these issues are cited in New York which we at ESFPA have also reported on.

Click the link below to read more:

Latest on Oak Wilt

Oak wilt has already killed millions of trees in 24 states throughout the Midwest and south to Texas and has gradually been moving northward. A warming climate may accelerate the spread of oak wilt into the northeast, posing a threat to all species of oak in the region.

Oak wilt is caused by a fungus which kills its host by disrupting the transport of water throughout the tree and causes leaves to wilt and drop prematurely from the top of the tree downward. Control of oak wilt is difficult, but prevention measures can help slow its spread. 

Click the link below to read more:

Is there a Case for Optimism in the Northeast Forest Products Sector?

In the December issue of Northern Logger, Eric Kingsly takes a look at all sectors of the northeast forest products industry, which have mostly had a tough year in 2024. However, "there's reason for hope," including some positive market indicators and new advancements in forest products.

Click the link below to read more:

Conservation Deal with Paul Smiths College

Paul Smith's College is in negotiations with the Adirondack Land Trust to put a "large amount" of forested land into a conservation easement protecting the parcel from development but allowing for continued educational use.

Click the link below to read more:

Migrating Trees

Researchers at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station are studying historic tree migration to learn how trees are affected by climate change and land use changes. 

Whereas most previous studies have focused on a smaller scale, this model includes data from the United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico. This wider perspective helps to better understand how natural and human-caused disturbances affect tree migration. The team’s modeling efforts have already made a difference in the field, being applied by forest managers to identify vulnerable tree species and to implement strategies to help them.

Click the link below to read more: