ESFPA E-News

Register for Forestry Awareness Day 2026

On Tuesday, March 10th, ESFPA will be hosting our annual Forestry Awareness Day (FAD) in room 104-A at the Legislative Office Building in Albany. FAD is our annual “lobby day” with the New York State Legislature.

This is the opportunity for ESFPA members to put a face on our forest and wood products manufacturing sector; educate legislators and policy makers on the importance of forests and harvested wood products; and the contribution we have in New York’s economy, environment (including climate change) and the quality of life of all New Yorkers. Please consider attending, “the world is run by those who show up.” 

To see a list of our 2026 Budget & Legislative Priorities, click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Gabriella Ferrera at the Empire State Forest Products Association at (518) 463-1297 or email gabriella@esfpa.org.

Registration for Forestry Awareness Day 2026 is now open. Click the link below to register for the event:

Repeal of EPA Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Rule

Last Thursday, President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the final rule repealing the 2009 Obama-era Endangerment Finding, which provided the foundation for EPA’s greenhouse gas (GHG) rules, especially for motor vehicles and power plants. President Trump called the repeal the “largest deregulatory action in American history.” On February 13, the Final Rule was posted on EPA’s website. 

EPA asserts that the Clean Air Act (CAA) does not authorize the agency to issue standards for the purpose of addressing global climate change, and therefore the Agency has no legal basis for the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations. EPA further states that a “policy decision of this magnitude, which carries sweeping economic and policy consequences, lies solely with Congress.” EPA also concludes that the small effect on climate change worldwide is not worth the enormous costs. As part of the action, EPA also is rescinding prior motor vehicle GHG standards. See EPA Press Release (Feb. 12).

According to the EPA Fact Sheet, the final rule is projected to save American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion, and $2400 per vehicle on average, by removing regulatory reporting requirements, eliminating both the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.

The agency’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding is expected to face protracted litigation – first in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and then perhaps in the Supreme Court.

How much this rule repeal will impact New York is debatable.  New York has already adopted significant climate legislation regulating emissions under the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA). It has also adopted its own set of Emission Reporting Regulations for greenhouse gas emission sources. It has also participated in the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) for over two decades which regulates and trades emissions from major power generators. New York has also adopted the California Light Duty and Heavy-Duty vehicle emission standards for decades as well as the light and heavy-duty EV requirements (albeit they have been delayed by Governor Hochul for two years). 

New York will also undoubtedly take this regulatory repeal by the Trump Administration as a mandate for New York to yet further adopt stricter climate and greenhouse gas standards to protect New Yorkers and the world from both President Trump and climate change. 

As the implications of this rule change unfold, we will continue to report on it.

Business Council of New York Rolls Out Affordability Campaign

The Business Council of NY (BCNY)rolled out the details of their Statewide Affordability Campaign. The Business Council will inform the public, policymakers, and the business community about which proposals reduce costs — and which could drive consumers and employers out of the state.

As lawmakers consider hundreds of proposals that directly affect the cost of living and the cost of doing business, the campaign will evaluate and publicly rate each policy based on its impact on affordability. The goal is to increase transparency around how these decisions affect household budgets, job creation, and New York’s long-term economic competitiveness. ESFPA is partnering in the campaign with BCNYS.