ESFPA E-News Volume 3 - Issue 19![]() May 31, 2022A round-up of our interesting stories from the past week. ![]() FIVE Campaigns now Active on OneClickPolitics: Energy Intensive and Trade Exposed is the latest! Each need a separate action by YOU! It is Time to be Proactive – Our Industry is at Risk This is not an exaggeration. We can no longer sit back and hope someone else speaks up for us. Our members cannot rely solely upon the work of the Association staff or leaders. Everyone of us needs to speak up for ourselves on EVERY Campaign! – ESFPA has developed the mechanism and the talking points – members and employees and family members need only “click”! We need to be louder than our “green” counterparts who have mastered their digital grassroots advocacy – it’s the medium which the legislators use now and so must we. Members must get involved. We can no longer say we are too busy, too tired, not tech savvy. We may work in an industry that is rural by nature, but our society at large – and those who make the decisions – are urban minded. We either meet this reality or we will lose. This process is simple and quick. If we all do not partake in every issue – whether there is a direct impact to your business or just the industry as a whole – we have no one to blame but ourselves when things do not go our way. Do your part – take a moment and “click.” Campaigns will begin by next week. If you have any questions, please contact Muriel Church at mchurch@esfpa.org or 518-463-1297. ![]() ![]() ESFPA Signs on to TWO NLEB Bat Letters Working with some of our national affiliates, ESFPA has lent our name as signatories on two letters regarding the Northern Long Eared Bat's proposed redesignation from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) from a “threatened” status to “endangered.” The NLEB is found in 39 states, primarily in the eastern U.S. There is great concern that redesignating the NLEB will result in new habitat conservation requirements that will significantly impede the ability of forest management activities, including timber harvests, on public and private lands. The following are some public comments we have participated in: Sustainable Forestry Group Purchases Tug Hill, Adk Parcels Bluesource Sustainable Forestry Co. has purchased 52,000 covering 4 different properties on Tug Hill and the Eastern Adirondacks. The company plans to make carbon sequestration the primary source of income generated by logging. Together, the parcels are called the Empire Riverlands Property. Please follow this link for the full story.
ESFPA Provides Testimony on All Electric Buildings Earlier this month, ESFPA filed testimony on A 8341/6843 - the All electric Buildings Act. The first concern for the Association is the timing of the proposed legislation is two-fold. First, relative to Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) Scoping Plan process and public input. ESFPA was pleased to be engaged in the Advisory Panels in drafting recommendations for the recently released draft Scoping Plan including our appointment to the Agriculture and Forestry Advisory panel and our interactions with other Advisory Panels including the Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel. The draft Scoping Plan was released in December 2021 and is presently undergoing public comment through June 10, 2022. The Climate Action Council will then decipher the public input and revise recommendations accordingly. At this stage we see no benefit in advancing sweeping legislative measures outside of this deliberative public process, such as is proposed in A.8431-B/S. 6843-C. Click HERE to read the full testimony. ![]() Follow Us! |