ESFPA E-News

Assembly Leaves Albany Late on Wednesday

The New York State Assembly returned to Albany Tuesday to finish legislation that they could not complete as session was to end on June 10^th.  What was supposed to be a “limited session” turned into a mad dash to move as many bills as they could in two days.  In large measure, the legislation ESFPA was concerned about did not get acted on.  In the case of “deforestation free procurement” this bill was passed late on Wednesday. Deforestation-free Procurement Act A. 5682-A (Zebrowski)/S. 4859-A (Krueger) would prevent state agencies from procuring products made from wood and fiber from Tropical forests. In 2022 when this bill also included the Boreal forests, ESFPA, AF&PA, SFI Inc. and the Canadian Forest Products Association worked to convince sponsors on the poor merits of this legislation in including Boreal forests. 

In reintroducing this bill in 2023, Boreal forests were removed.  The bill did, however, include a new section amending the Economic Development Law requiring ESDC to establish a Supply Chain Assistance Transparency Program for small and medium businesses.  These supply chain provisions would apply to any “raw material” (not just Tropical woods) and have definitions that are problematic. ESFPA and AF&PA jointly opposed this legislation, but the Assembly under pressure from international environmental groups passed it.  ESFPA will now work with other organizations in asking for a veto. While rumor continues that either house could return again in the fall, for now the Legislature has left Albany!

Deer and Invasive Species Impact on Eastern States Regeneration

Advanced regeneration, in the form of tree seedlings and saplings, is critical for ensuring the long-term viability and resilience of forest ecosystems in the eastern United States. Lack of regeneration and/or compositional mismatch between regeneration and canopy layers, called regeneration debt, can lead to shifts in forest composition, structure, and, in extreme cases, forest loss.

A 12-year study examined status and trends in regeneration across 39 national parks. Overabundant deer and invasive plants drive widespread regeneration debt in eastern United States national parks with deer browsing being the strongest predictor of regeneration abundance. The findings of this study underscore the critical importance of an integrated forest management approach that promotes an abundant and diverse regeneration layer. In most cases, this can only be achieved through long-term (i.e., multidecadal) management of white-tailed deer and invasive plants.

The study further states, “Without immediate and sustained management intervention, the forest loss we are already observing may become a widespread pattern in eastern national parks and the broader region.”

To read the full study, click the link below:

Local Truck Driver Helped State Police Stop Shooter and Driver from Escaping Scene

From CBS6 News

A routine traffic stop turned into a crime scene last Friday morning, as gunfire was exchanged and a New York State trooper was shot on Interstate I-88 in Duanesburg. The trooper, Richard Albert was shot in the arm, transported to Ellis Hospital in stable condition and later released.

Police say after the trooper pulled the vehicle over for going above the speed limit, around 100mph, the suspect fled the scene, resulting in a manhunt in which police say the shooter was found not far from the scene on Darby Hill Road, where the suspect was suffering from self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect, 32-year old Nelson Troche of Schenectady, NY, was transported to Albany Medical Center via helicopter, where he was declared dead.

Police say after being stopped, Troche, sitting in the passenger seat, reached across the driver's side window and fired at Trooper Albert as he approached the window. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody after fleeing on foot.

But, during a time where several trucks were on the Interstate, police say one helped keep the suspects from getting away following the interaction.

"There was actually one tractor trailer that did assist our trooper," Richard Allen, NYS Police Deputy Superintendent says. "He actually pulled in front of into the car so that car didn’t take off."

Allen says once the suspect fled, there was a search in the nearby woods, where the K9s and troopers found the suspect.

Hemp Based Tree Free Lumber

A New York startup called Structural Biocomposites is working to produce hemp-based tree free lumber as an alternative building material for the construction industry. The goal is not to replace wood, but to reduce overall rates of deforestation.

The mind behind the project, T.J. Fiala says "it's got the hemp hard core with a stressed skin of the hemp fiber around the outside. This would be an example of a three-quarter-inch plywood, which can be used for sheathing, roof decking, some flooring and so on and so forth." Industrial hemp lumber is fireproof, water resistant and holds up to any wood-destroying insects. This project is only in the beginning stages, and over the next year the material characteristics will be flushed out for the product and production will begin. 

It would be interesting to see a full life-cycle assessment of this product and its energy and water consumption as well as the amount of land necessary to produce a viable supply. 

Final Reminder: Sign Up for the Last NYLT Workshops of the Season

FREE for ESFPA members

There are still openings in the last two NYLT courses being offered this June 2023. These courses are ESFPA-only and completely FREE! Sign up today for either of the below workshops by contacting ESFPA at dorian@esfpa.org or (518) 463-1297. 

The upcoming classes are as follows:

Saturday, 6/24/2023- Critical Injury Response for Loggers 

• In the Town of Hadley, Saratoga County
• 8:00am – 5:00pm
• Instructed by Rick Lutz
• For ESFPA members ONLY

• FREE

Topics address loggers on responding to emergency situations on the job site and with equipment.  This includes:

• Maximizing scene safety
• Protecting loggers trapped under trees and debris
• How to assist in rescue
• How to manage an accident scene in remote locations or when trained emergency help is not readily available  
• Use of safety equipment and precautions

Friday, 6/30/2023- Storm Damage Training

• In the Town of Hadley, Saratoga County
• 8:00am – 5:00pm
• Instructed by Bill Lindloff
• For ESFPA members ONLY

• FREE

Game of Logging provides specialized training that addressed the unique hazards inherent in storm damaged settings.  This training is meant to provide saw users the information and techniques demanded by this dangerous environment and the forces and pressures of wind felled trees.

Demonstration & Hands-On Techniques: Participants will be exposed to and have the opportunity to perform many of the following techniques during the day:

• Limb-Loc
• Top-Loc
• Tongue & Groove
• Axle Cut
• Axle Loc
• Notch Bucking & Directional Notch Bucking (Controlled Release Cut)
• Roll Away Cut
• Buck with Wedge
• Flagging Hazards
• Tab Cut
• Oversized Log Buck
• Dirty Log Bucking
• Using ropes and mechanical advantage techniques

Demonstration Only by GOL Trainer: Participants will be exposed to these techniques, but will not necessarily perform them during training day:

• Scissor-Cut - Show using wedge and if applicable rope and come-along option.
• The release of extreme springpole tension.
• "Pole in a Hole"

Five Point Plan for Storm Damaged Trees:

1. OVERHEAD HAZARDS!!
2. Hazards on the ground
3. Assess lean weight and pressure
4. Cutting technique or cut plan
5. Escape route