ESFPA E-News

Last Chance to Register for Saranac Lake & Croghan ESFPA Regional Meetings

ESFPA is planning on hosting 6 Regional Meetings across NY State this fall. This year, we’re aiming for a more informal approach; our focus is on creating a relaxed, social atmosphere where we can connect with loggers and hear your thoughts. There will be no formal speakers, and most of the meetings will be held in more casual venues with more casual snack food. 

The first two meetings (Saranac Lake and Croghan) will be held next week, so please sign up asap. We'd love for you to join us! 

The full schedule of Regional Meetings is as follows:

Meeting #1– Saranac Lake

• Date: Monday, September 8th
• Location: Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center — 92 Mt. Pisgah Lane, Saranac Lake, NY 12983
• Time: 5:30pm
• SIC Meeting will be held before the ESFPA Regional Meeting at 3:30pm
• Cost Per Person: $10

Meeting #2– Croghan

• Date: Tuesday, September 9th
• Location: Croghan Fire Hall — 6855 Fire Hall St, Croghan NY 13327
• Time: 5:30pm
• Cost Per Person: $10

Meeting #3– Virtual

• Date: Tuesday, September 16th
• ZOOM link will be sent to participants
• Time: 6:00pm
• Cost Per Person: free

Meeting #4– Cortland

• Date: Tuesday, September 30th
• Location: Gutchess Cortland—890 Mclean Rd, Cortland, NY 13045
• Time: 5:30pm
• Cost Per Person: $10

Meeting #5– Deposit

• Date: Wednesday, October 1st
• Location: Cannonsville Lumber— 199 Old Rte 10, Deposit, NY 13754
• Time: 5:30pm
• Cost Per Person: $10

Meeting #6– Lake George

• Date: Thursday, October 2nd 
• Location: Courtyard Marriott Lake George—365 Canada St, Lake George, NY 12845
• Time: 5:30pm
• Cost Per Person: $40

Registration for all meetings is required. To register, please call Dorian Johnson at (518) 463-1297 ext. 224.  NYLT continuing education credits will be awarded to participants.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact us at (518) 463-1297 or at gabriella@esfpa.org. We hope you can join us and are looking forward to seeing you this fall!

North Country Climate-Ready Workforce Roundtable

Thursday, October 23, 2025, SUNY Adirondack, Queensbury, NY

This interactive Roundtable event will bring together educational institutions, state agencies, economic development organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and area students to increase awareness of Adirondack climate resilience workforce needs. The event will include speakers, panels, several facilitated roundtable discussions related to building a climate-ready workforce pathway with diverse partners, and ample time scheduled for networking and tabling during the event.

This event is presented by the Adirondack Climate and Resilience Network (ACORN) which is a collaborative initiative aimed at strengthening climate resilience in the rural North Country region of New York. A partnership of The Wild Center, Paul Smith's College, and the Adirondack Research Consortium, ACORN is working to help prepare North Country communities for the impacts of climate change. The Climate-Ready Workforce Roundtable builds directly on a year-long series of ACORN listening sessions held across the 14 counties of the North Country. Learn more about the ACORN Project.

Click the link below to register:

DEC and Partners Confirm Laurel Wilt Invasive Plant Disease on Long Island

First Detection in New York State

The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Agriculture and Markets (AGM), Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Suffolk County, and the Cornell University Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic (CU-PDDC) confirmed the presence of the invasive plant disease laurel wilt on Long Island, marking the first discovery of the plant disease in New York State. Originating in Asia and first identified in the U.S. in Georgia in 2002, the disease is deadly to plants and present in multiple southeastern states, with the northernmost cases prior to New York’s detection in Kentucky and Virginia.  

“The detection of laurel wilt on Long Island marks a troubling new chapter in the spread of this invasive plant disease,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “DEC is collaborating with our conservation partners to understand the extent of impacted trees, evaluate control options, and launch public outreach to increase awareness about laurel wilt and how to report it.”  

Laurel wilt is a fungal pathogen that kills trees and shrubs in the laurel family. Laurel wilt is spread by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle, which introduces the fungus when it tunnels into the stems and branches of host plants, leaving behind the fungal spores. In New York, native species at risk are sassafras and spicebush. Despite its name, mountain laurel is not in this family and is not impacted by the disease.  

The Suffolk County case originated when a private landowner in the village of Northport observed a dying sassafras on their property this summer and sent a sample to the Suffolk County CCE to diagnose the problem. Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center then isolated the fungus and CU-PDDC confirmed the identification, followed by confirmation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We’re collaborating closely with our partners to respond to this detection of laurel wilt on Long Island. As we continue to learn more about the spread of this harmful plant disease and how to control it, we’re also working to increase awareness of this find and encouraging the public to report any sightings.”  

Cornell University Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic Director Karen Snover-Clift said, “Cornell’s Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic has been building molecular testing capacity for years and is well-prepared to respond to emerging threats like laurel wilt. The CU-PDDC is proud to serve as the state’s primary laboratory for confirming future samples.”  

The loss of sassafras and spicebush could have wide-ranging impacts on southern New York’s forests and wildlife. Both species provide food and shelter for birds, pollinators, and mammals. Spicebush berries are a critical fall food source for migratory birds, while the leaves of both spicebush and sassafras support the larvae of native butterflies such as the spicebush swallowtail. Their decline would reduce forest diversity, weaken natural food webs, and increase native forest susceptibility to invasive plants.   

Laurel wilt causes rapid decline in sassafras and spicebush. Signs and symptoms to look for include:   

• Sudden wilting of leaves;  
• Dark streaking of sapwood beneath the bark; and  
• Small entry holes on the branches, trunk, or roots, which are sometimes surrounded by fine sawdust-like “toothpicks” pushed out from the bark.  

For members of the public who encounter symptomatic sassafras and spicebush:  

• Submit a report through nyimapinvasives.org; and
• Do not move or transport branches, trunks, or bark from symptomatic sassafras or spicebush, even for disposal. Chip dead wood and use it as mulch on-site.  

People often use wood from trees that have died on their property as firewood when they go camping, which can allow invasive pests and diseases to spread long distance in a short period of time. To help stop the spread of laurel wilt and other invasives, follow DEC’s firewood regulations and use local or heat-treated firewood. 

Cornell University is hosting an information session on Sept. 10 about the laurel wilt detection. The public is encouraged to attend. To learn more, visit the DEC Laurel Wilt webpage.