ESFPA E-News

Women in the Woods: Women Supporting Women in a Male-Dominated Industry

From The Northern Logger

We’ve come a long way, baby, but not far enough. Forestry is, and has historically been, a male-dominated field. Women currently make up only 15% of forestry and conservation workers, but not from a lack of interest. Fifty years ago, women struggled to be accepted into forestry programs based on their gender alone. Even today women contend with sexist professors who tell them they “aren’t strong enough” or they “don’t look like a forester.” It is not surprising then that women make up only 23% of undergraduate students enrolled in forestry programs. For women who do graduate with forestry degrees, some experience gender biases during the hiring process and find it difficult to get hired. Women often switch from traditional forestry to fields such as urban forestry or land conservation, which often have more female representation.

Even women who succeed in the industry face ongoing challenges such as sexism and sexual assault; favoritism and gaslighting; being overlooked in meetings and undervalued in leadership roles; and finding properly fitting safety equipment. Connecting with other woman may help individuals overcome these obstacles. Fortunately, it’s becoming easier for women to network and find support through social media groups, online zoom chats, and in person workshops developed specifically by and for women.

Four such resources to help ensure success in your forestry career are:

• Women Foresters Collaborative
• Women in the Woods
• Women in Trees 
• Women in Wood

Click the link below to read the full article and learn more about each resource:

Plantations and Natural Regeneration

From The Forest Resources Association

During a recent conversation with a business leader in Maine, he expressed concern that a timber harvest had occurred near his vacation home, but after a full year, the site had not been replanted. He all but accused Maine’s entire forest industry of operating unsustainably because a parcel of land that he doesn’t own and doesn’t know much about wasn’t replanted.

I took the opportunity to explain that most forests in Maine and across the Northeast are naturally regenerated, relying on natural processes like seed dispersal and sprouting rather than planting. Forests of this region successfully regenerate on their own, and I reminded him that all the stone walls in the woods were stone walls at the edge of a field a century ago.

There are regions of the country where planting of seedlings post-harvest is critically important. Across the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest, planting of commercial species is critical to establishing a new timber crop. In other parts of the country, less so.

Click the link below to read the full article:

You're Invited: Present at the 2025 Invasive Species Expo!

You are invited to submit a presentation abstract for the 3rd biennial New York State Invasive Species Expo, to be held September 14th-16th, 2025 at Saratoga Spa State Park.

The expo is an event that features creative, interactive, and hands-on experiences in addition to classic presentations and posters. They are looking for content exploring the ABC's of Invasive Species: Advance Actions, Bridge Boundaries, and Connect Community.

They are seeking:

• Traditional presentations
• Hands-on workshops
• Interactive demonstrations
• Poster presentations (Students welcome!)
• Local field trips
• Creative walk & talks
• ...and any other unique ideas you have for expo content!

Accepted content will be delivered at the Expo, either at the public-facing Community Conservation Day on Sunday Sep 14th, or the Expo Professional Days on September 15-16. There are indoor and outdoor spaces available for presentations and workshops. 

Abstract submissions are due April 30th. Presenters will be notified via email of abstract status by June 30th.

Note: Due to constraints within the abstract submission form, only one abstract can be submitted per attendee. If you would like to submit multiple abstracts, please have co-presenters submit under their profile, or contact is.summit@dec.ny.gov. There is no limit to the number of abstract submissions, and presenters are encouraged to explore multiple types of content!

For more information, please visit the Expo webpage at https://nyis.info/new-york-invasive-species-expo/. If you have any questions related to submitting an abstract, please email is.summit@dec.ny.gov.  

Click the link below to submit an abstract:

ESFPA Campaign & Survey on Tariffs

The recent U.S. tariffs and foreign country retaliatory responses are devastating export markets of New York forest products and threaten lasting impacts on our log, lumber and pulp and paper markets. While our companies can appreciate rational and strategic foreign market policy that protects our companies and workers, we cannot have the degree of unpredictability and market disruption the past few weeks have brought.

Take action now and reach out to the Governor and her agencies, your state and federal elected representatives and let them know how your company and employees are impacted and that you deserve a rational and predictable market environment to operate in.

Please edit the letter and add a personal reality reflecting your business. We are also asking you to provide some figures relative to your company, products, foreign markets you work in and employees that are impacted.

With your voice we can effectuate change and fair markets!!

Click the link below to join the advocacy campaign. Please edit the portions of email that are blank to reflect your personal information.

ESFPA has been communicating with our national affiliate associations, the Governor’s Office and State agencies and our federal Congressional representatives making them aware of the impacts these tariffs have on our sector and businesses and how we need predictability in the markets.

To bolster our effectiveness on this we have created a survey and need your anecdotes on the impacts of these tariffs on your operations. All responses will be confidential, and we are looking to report cumulative impacts not specific impacts on any one business.

Your feedback is critical. Please respond to this survey ASAP and if you have any questions contact Gabriella at gabriella@esfpa.org.