ESFPA E-News

Last Chance to Sign Up for ESFPA Cortland and Owego Regional Meetings 2023

Sign up for one of our Regional Meetings being held in Cortland and Owego next week! The Cortland meeting will be preceded by a tour of the Gutchess sawmill and the Owego meeting will be preceded by a tour of the Wagner sawmill. Registration is required. To register, please call Dorian Johnson at (518) 463-1297 ext. 224. or email dorian@esfpa.org

The outline for the meetings is as follows:

Cortland:

• Date: September 27th 
• Location: Gutchess Cortland at 890 McLean Rd., Cortland NY 13045
• Price: $25/person
• 1/2 NYLT Continuing Education Credit Available
• Info:
  • 4:30pm-6:00pm- Gutchess Mill Tour
  • 6:00pm-7:30pm- Dinner/ Networking

Owego:

• Date: September 28th 
• Location: Wagner Owego at 4060 Gaskill Rd., Owego NY 13827
• Price: $15/person
• 1/2 NYLT Continuing Education Credit Available
• Info:
  • 1:00pm-3:00pm- Wagner Mill Tour
  • 3:00pm-5:00pm- Dinner/ Networking

Reminder: we are changing the format of our regional meetings this year. We want to spend less time talking and more time listening.  We want to hear from you!  What you like, what you dislike, suggestions for how to do things differently- we want to hear all of it. Each meeting will have a brief rundown of the association's past year, a vote for the Board of Directors, and plenty of time for networking and fellowship. 

New York Agencies Ordered to Freeze Spending in Budget Proposals Amid Gap

New York state agencies are being ordered to freeze spending in their budget proposals for the next fiscal year as the state faces major budget gaps in the years ahead. 

In a letter to agency commissioners Wednesday, New York state Budget Director Blake Washington Wednesday said budget requests should not exceed what was approved in this year's $229 billion budget. This is what's known as the annual "call letter" outlining the governor's priorities and any fiscal constraints. 

"Changing economic winds pose a challenge to New York’s financial position," Washington writes in the letter. "Extraordinary amounts of post-pandemic Federal fiscal stimulus have ended. The Federal Reserve tightened its monetary policy, and the robust tax collections fueled by market activity and prior year tax increases have subsided. As a consequence, our revenue forecasts have been revised downward, resulting in multi-year budget gaps."

The state Division of Budget is projecting budget gaps totaling $36 billion over the next three years. Those break down to $9.1 billion next year, $13.9 billion for following year and $13.4 billion for the year after that. The gaps are $15 billion higher than previous projections and the Division of the Budget points to decreasing tax revenue and federal aid while spending increases. 

The state budget is required to be balanced by law. Budget deficits fluctuate and are based on expectations of revenue and spending targets as they stand now. New York's reserve funds are up to $19.5 billion after investments over the last five years. However, Washington outlines Gov. Kathy Hochul does not want to raise taxes or rely on reserve funds.

"Acknowledging our fiscal constraints while ensuring fundamental public services and programs are preserved is the task ahead," Washington writes. "The road to a balanced budget might seem daunting, but I am confident that through sound decision-making, strategic investments, and fiscal discipline, we can continue to show the compassion, care, and leadership that New York is known for."

Agency budget requests are due Oct. 11. The governor will present a budget to the state legislature in January, kicking off weeks of hearings and negotiations before the final budget is due April 1. 

EPA Prepares Grants for Low Carbon Construction Materials for FY 2024

On September 14th, EPA announced that it would be making grants available to parties to develop Environment Product Declarations (EPD’s) for low carbon construction materials, beginning after October 1st of this year.  Grants will be available to parties who have an active account on Sam.gov and are registered on Grants.gov.  Any wood product manufacturer who may be interested in developing an EPD is encouraged to start the Sam and Grant registration as these can take months to get and you want to be ready to apply for these funds when available. 

EPA’s announcement follows in the wake of comments submitted by the Hardwood Federation (ESFPA signed on) in May arguing that any low-carbon construction materials program should take into account the carbon storage value of wood products.  ESFPA will keep you posted on grant availability as soon as the agency formally opens the application process.

Webinar: Carbon Storage Benefits of New York’s Harvested Wood Products

September 28, 2023, at 1p.m.

Harvested wood products are an important component of global, national, and regional greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, and they can mitigate climate change through carbon storage, materials substitution, and fossil energy displacement. Through this webinar, Drs. Therasme and Arodudu will present the benefits of harvested wood products, focusing on their contribution toward net zero carbon climate goals. We will explore the carbon stock and stock changes of New York's harvested wood products since 1990. 

About the Presenters: 

Obste Therasme is an assistant professor at the Department of Sustainable Resources Management at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). His work is related to carbon accounting, life-cycle assessment (LCA), and net zero/negative greenhouse gas emissions systems. He holds a Ph.D. in sustainable energy from ESF and a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University.

Oludunsin Arodudu is a postdoctoral research associate at the Department of Sustainable Resources Management at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). His work is related to sustainability assessment, carbon accounting, net energy analysis and material flow analysis. He holds a PhD in Geoecology from University of Potsdam, Germany and a Master of Science degree from Lund University, Sweden and University of Twente, Netherlands.  

Register for this webinar by clicking the link below:

2023 Cooperating Forester Meeting

September 28th, 2023, from 8:30am – 3:00pm

NYSDEC Region 5 Division of Lands and Forests-Bureau of Private Land Services is hosting a meeting for DEC Region 5 Consulting Foresters next Thursday at the DEC Warrensburg Office, 232 Golf Course Road, Warrensburg NY.

Registration is not required. If you are interested in attending, you can review the full meeting agenda below.

FRA Woods to Mill: Producer Price Index for Logging 

By Eric Kingsley | FRA Northeastern Region Consultant

Across the country, I am hearing concerns about logging capacity – are there enough people and equipment to harvest the wood we need to support the industry of today and tomorrow? 

One part of that concern is about what exists today, but a larger part, I believe, is about tomorrow – are enough people entering the logging profession, and how can they possibly afford to stand up a new crew?

Of course, there isn’t a universal answer to this question – the answer depends upon geography, local markets, and what is considered “enough wood” to feed markets. It’s clear that in the coming years, we’ll need more loggers, truckers, workers in the mill, and more of everyone.

One question I have heard a lot – from wood suppliers and consumers – over the last few years deals with inflation and its impact on logging. It is clear and not disputed that logging costs have risen – the cost of labor, diesel, parts, skidder tires, and just about everything else a logger buys have increased in the past several years. The questions end up being “How much?” and “Is this reflected in what loggers are being paid”?

Read the full article on FRA's website by clicking the link below: