ESFPA E-News

University of Idaho’s Response to Addressing Workforce Challenges in the Logging, Fire, and Forest Nursery Sectors

From the Forest Resources Association

Author: Dr. Ryer M. Becker | Research Faculty | Dept. of Forest, Rangeland & Fire Sciences | College of Natural Resources | University of Idaho

For over 100 years, the University of Idaho has equipped forestry professionals to address the complex challenges facing the sustainable management of our forestlands through our SAF-accredited four-year forestry program. As Idaho’s land grant institution, the UI proudly embraces its social contract with the state’s citizens and communities to improve the lives of Idahoans through readily available, research-based programs and educational resources. Despite the successes of training professional foresters, logging workforce deficiencies have become a persistent topic of concern for the forest products industry in Idaho. The significant and growing demand for new programs to support workforce training and development within the logging sector prompted UI to pursue new opportunities to address these needs. While training of the logging workforce has historically occurred on the job, increased challenges associated with recruiting and retaining employees have yielded an insufficient number of employees to adequately sustain the necessary skilled workforce. This situation has created a ripple effect that has impacted the entirety of the forest products industry – in Idaho and beyond. 
 
In response, the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources (CNR), in close collaboration with industry stakeholders, developed a new two-year Associate of Science (A.S.) degree in Forest Operations and Technology. This new degree offers a unique training and education pathway that directly addresses the logging industry's workforce shortages. Under the leadership of CNR Dean Dr. Dennis Becker, Associate Dean Dr. Steve Shook, and Department Head Dr. Charles Goebel, this and two other associate degrees in wildland fuels and fire, and forest nursery management, were developed in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences. As the University of Idaho’s first-ever two-year degree programs targeted at bolstering workforce development capacity within the region – the stakeholder and industry response has been overwhelmingly positive.
 
The new Forest Operations and Technology degree focuses on equipping students with the applied and technological skillsets needed to rapidly contribute to the continued success and advancement of the forest operations and logging sectors following graduation. This training includes a significant field-based component related to the execution of safe and sustainable timber harvests and foundational operational forestry and business coursework. The University of Idaho is uniquely positioned with the expertise and physical resources necessary to deliver this degree and support the logging industry’s workforce demands. Students enrolled in this new A.S. degree will benefit significantly from resources available through the expansive 10,000+ acre University of Idaho Experimental Forest (UIEF). The UIEF is a true working forest with active timber harvesting operations, providing ample hands-on learning opportunities for students, including the use of modern mechanized logging equipment. By the fall of 2023, the UIEF will own and operate a modern grapple skidder, processor, and feller-buncher consistent with cutting-edge ground-based logging operations. This development comes as the Student Logging Crew on the UIEF, under the direction of Associate Professor of Forest Operations and Director of the UIEF, Dr. Rob Keefe, celebrates its 50th year in operation and ushers in a new era of transformational and experiential learning opportunities for students. Access to cutting-edge, mechanized equipment provides invaluable teaching and training opportunities for students and directly reflects the continued trend towards increased mechanization noted in the logging industry today. As Dr. Keefe reinforced, “Moving to fully mechanized operations is much safer for our students and consistent with modern forestry.”
 
The success of our students and ensuring they are afforded every opportunity to pursue a rewarding career is at the forefront for us, and we graciously welcome support from industry stakeholders interested in partnering with us in this pursuit. This support could come in the form of scholarships established to increase degree accessibility for potential students or through the willingness to visit the University as a guest speaker and share industry knowledge and expertise with future logging and forest operations professionals. Further, we are continuing to look for opportunities to connect our students directly with industry prior to graduation through internships and after as they enter the workforce, determined to make an immediate positive impact. We are fortunate to have strong relationships with many stakeholders. Still, we are always looking for new opportunities to expand our network, identify how we can best meet industry’s needs as a university, and offer ways for industry to partner in these efforts.
 
For more information or to contribute to the program please contact Dr. Ryer M. Becker via email rbecker@uidaho.edu.

Check out the Latest Northern Logger Podcast

The labor shortages across many industries in the US these last few years have made it even harder to attract and retain exceptional employees – essential to running a successful company. On this episode, five leaders in the forest products industry share their thoughts, personal experiences, and various approaches to attracting top-quality workers and holding on to them. We hear from Sam Lincoln, Brian Souers, Eric Kingsley, Jed Whiting, and Andy Irish. Listen to the podcast by clicking the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. 

DEC Announces $1.35 Million for the Second Round of the Forest Conservation Grant Program

Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Grant Program Helps Protect Forests from Potential Development

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the second round of competitive grants for the Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts (FCELT) Grant Program. In partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, a total of $1.35 million in grant funding is available for DEC to award to eligible, accredited land trusts to purchase conservation easements on forested land for the purpose of protecting these lands from future development. The goal of the grant program is to increase the pace of forest land conservation to keep forests as forests and combat climate change.

"Protecting and managing forests is essential to the state's efforts to combat climate change and we commend partners like the Land Trust Alliance for helping to implement programs that protect our vital forest resources," said Commissioner Seggos. "These grants are just one tool DEC is using to advance the state's forest conservation goals, implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Scoping Plan recommendations, and protect the state's biodiversity for future generations. I encourage land trusts to apply for these grants and help us conserve New York's forests."

Applicants may apply for up to $350,000 to fund the acquisition of conservation easements on forest land in New York State. To apply, a 25 percent match of grant funding is required and land trusts must be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

"We must increase the pace of land conservation to help prevent the worst effects of climate change and to make progress on achieving the critical goals laid out in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Scoping Plan," said Jennifer Miller Herzog, the Land Trust Alliance's Chief Program Officer. "This new round of funding to help protect New York's forests signals a strong commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers and the environment. The Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts program leverages the strengths and expertise of local land trusts and their ability to work with willing landowners to keep their forests as forests. We are proud to partner with DEC to help continue this innovative approach to protecting one of our most important natural resources. On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance, I applaud Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and DEC Commissioner Seggos for their work toward ensuring the continued availability of clean water, outdoor recreation and economic opportunity in the face of climate change."

Funding for the grant program is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Governor Hochul's 2023-24 Executive Budget sustains the EPF at a historic $400 million. The EPF provides funding for critical environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, enhanced recreational access, water quality improvement, and an aggressive environmental justice agenda.

FCELT grants will further goals/strategies identified in the New York State Open Space Plan, the New York State Wildlife Action Plan, the New York State Forest Action Plan, and/or other local, regional or statewide land protection plans.

The program has a two-step application process which includes a pre-application and a full application. Pre-applications are now being accepted and are due by May 11, 2023. Full applications are by invitation only. Applicants invited to submit a full application will be notified by June 13, 2023. Full applications are due by July 28, 2023. Complete details about this grant opportunity including eligibility requirements and other program elements can be found on the FCELT webpage of the Land Trust Alliance website.

Privately owned forest lands cover 13.62 million acres and represent 74 percent of New York's forests. More than 10 million acres are considered family-owned or non-corporate forests. These nearly 700,000 private forest landowners help support clean air and water protection, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat conservation, and grow the state's forest-based economy. The FCELT provides resources to combat leading threats facing the states forests and to keeping privately-owned forests healthy and intact.

ESFPA at TED Hearing and EPF Lobby Day

Tuesday, February 14, 2023, was the TED Joint Legislative Hearing and lobby day for the Environmental Protection Fund.  The TED Hearing started at 9:30 a.m. and ran to 11 p.m. ESFPA Executive Director John Bartow testified on a panel with Abigail Sztein from American Forest & Paper Association, Judith Enk from Beyond Plastics, and Lewis DuBuke from the National Waste & Recycling Association. The panel concluded at 10:30 p.m., and while we may have differed in our position on Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, we were all on the same page that EPR should not be in the budget. Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger announced that there was consensus that EPR is not a fiscal matter but rather a policy matter and therefore should not be in the budget (with nods at least from Assembly Members Weinstein of Ways and Means and Glick of En Con). In John's EPF testimony, he also pointed out that the Governor did not include funding lines for Community Forest Programs and the Climate and Applied Forestry Research Institute, which were included in previous year, and that we were asking for each to be included in the Legislative one-house bills at $1 million dollars.  Senator Peter Harckham asked John to provide him the specifics on those programs and they would work on their restoration. 

For EPF lobby day we had 5 meetings with Northern NY legislative offices and carried the message on our EPF needs with favorable responses, albeit most of those meetings were with staff since legislators were at the TED Hearing.  John Bartow led a team with some North Country Land Trusts, Paul Smiths College and Peter Bauer and Claudia Braymer of Protect the Adirondacks. Overall, it went well and there was even some consensus on the needs for more working forest easements as opposed to fee acquisitions as well as the need for infrastructure stewardship on State Lands and easements to be funded with the EPF, Bond Act, and Inflation Reduction Act resources.

There's Still Time to Register for Forestry Awareness Day 2023

This year's Forestry Awareness Day will be held Tuesday, March 14th, 2023. The event will be in person for the first time since 2019 at the Legislative Office Building in Albany. As many of you already know, Forestry Awareness Day gives ESFPA members the opportunity to put a face on our forests and wood product manufacturing sector; educating legislators and policy makers on the importance of forests and harvested wood products, and the contribution we have in New York's economy, environment, and the quality of life of all New Yorkers. 

Your voice is needed to help make a difference! Register today!

Preliminary information:

• All meetings will have a leader
• Meetings will be in 30-minute time slots  
• You may attend as many meetings as your schedule permits 
• Click here to view our 2023 budget & legislative priorities

Registration is FREE but required for participation.

Click the link below to register for Forestry Awareness Day:

New York Logger Training 2023 Spring Schedule of Workshops AVAILABLE NOW

New York Logger Training has released the 2023 Spring schedule of workshops! Make sure to grab the class you need in a location near you- to register call ESFPA at 518-463-1297!

NYLT Cancellation Policy: All workshops must be paid in full at the time of registration. No refunds will be given for cancellations 7 days or fewer before the date of the workshop. 

Click the link below to view the full schedule of workshops on the NYLT website: