ESFPA E-News Volume 3 - Issue 16May 6, 2022A round-up of our interesting stories from the past week. THREE Campaigns now Active on OneClickPolitics: Ag & Forestry - Industry and Building 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. Gov. Hochul Chooses Her Lt. Gov Governor Kathy Hochul announced earlier this week that she is appointing Representative Antonio Delgado to serve as Lieutenant Governor of New York. Representative Delgado currently represents New York's 19th Congressional District, which includes the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Delgado is Afro-Latino, the first person of color to represent Upstate New York in Congress and a member of both the Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucuses. A native of Upstate New York, Representative Delgado grew up in Schenectady and lives in Rhinebeck with his wife, Lacey, and their twin eight-year-old sons, Maxwell and Coltrane. He attended Colgate University and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. Then, he received a law degree from Harvard Law School, where he met Lacey. He lived in New York City for several years as a young lawyer. He was first elected to Congress in 2018. Representative Delgado is the Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, and he serves on the House Small Business and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. In Celebration of Arbor Day, DEC Announces $750,000 in Second Round of 'Regenerate NY' Forestry Grants New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced last week on Arbor Day by $750,000 in funding now available for the second round of the State's 'Regenerate NY' Forestry Cost Share Grant Program. The grant program is designed to assist private landowners in growing the next generation of forests, which are crucial for mitigating climate change, providing wildlife habitat, protecting air and water quality, and supplying an important renewable resource. A third of the total available funds ($250,000) is specifically earmarked for tree planting projects that will establish new forests or supplement the regeneration of existing ones. Applications may be submitted through the New York State Grants Gateway and will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2022, or until funds are depleted, whichever comes first. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. Applicants need to establish an account in the Grants Gateway System. Once registered, applicants can search the Grants Gateway for "Regenerate NY." DEC is holding a webinar for interested applicants on Friday, May 6, at 10 a.m. For instructions on how to access the webinar via phone or computer, or for details about the grant opportunity including application criteria, visit DEC's website. Looking for Ticks? The Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program are happy to announce the 2nd annual New York State Tick Blitz. Help them find ticks, including the invasive Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in your community! This community-based science event works with volunteers to detect ticks important to human and animal health. What: A community-based science event. Volunteers help detect ticks important to human and animal health in their communities. Volunteers will…
Why: Several tick species are moving northward and westward across the state. We want to keep track of where they are moving each year. When: June 20 - July 1, 2022 Where: We are targeting the following counties in New York
Registration: Volunteers should complete this registration form by May 27th to register for participation. Sampling kits are limited, so sign up early! Climate Glossary for Forest Products Industry The National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) has created a “Climate Change Glossary” geared toward the forest products industry that includes about 100 definitions for frequently used terms that describe climate change. While the definitions posted on the website tend to be general, several definitions include links to more technical sources to add depth to the terms listed. Please click here to check out the glossary. Yet as with all good tools there needs to be some caution. One term – Biogenic Carbon – is defined by NCASI as “The carbon embodied in or derived from biomass is biogenic carbon. An emission factor of zero is normally used for biogenic CO2, meaning it is GHG neutral, reflecting guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the preparation of national greenhouse gas inventories (IPCC 2006).’ This is true, yet under the New York CLCPA and New York’s emission accounting, biogenic carbon is treated like all carbon (e.g. geologic fossil fuel carbon)and an anthropogenic source. Just part of our “New Yorkness”. SAF2022 Registration is NOW OPEN! This year’s SAF National Convention on September 20-24. As one of the largest forestry and natural resources conventions in the nation, this is an event you won’t want to miss! This year, the convention will explore “Our Working Mosaic” and the power of collaboration. Learn from the practice of others around the country and build a better understanding of our mosaic—the landscape, the people who work in it, and the work that we do. 3 more public hearings for public comments on Climate Action Council's Draft Scoping Plan The recent Draft Scoping Plan released by the state’s Climate Action Council is a “blueprint” for achieving the law’s emissions targets, and relative to forests sequestration targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It recommends a complete overhaul of New York’s energy industry, including bans on natural gas service and appliances for home and water heating, cooking and laundry – beginning as soon as 2024. This plan proposes converting nearly everything to electric power, relying on new wind and solar energy to replace natural gas – despite forecasts which show the resulting electric demand could far outstrip supply, likely leading to higher prices and weakened reliability. Surprisingly, few New Yorkers know about this and how it will affect their lives. Seven in-person hearings and one virtual hearing have been held across the State to give residents and businesses an opportunity to react to the plan. Energy consumers, organizations, corporations and government agencies are encouraged to attend the public hearings and to submit oral or written comments. Several ESFPA members have already testified. There are a couple more opportunities to have you voice heard:
Hearing details can be found here. Pre-registration is encouraged for the in-person hearings. Priority in seating and speaking will be given to those who pre-register. Individuals can
pre-register here. Individuals who want to provide oral comment must attend either in-person or join a virtual hearing. Equal weight will be given to oral and written statements. Pres. Biden's EO on Forests - Fact Sheet As we reported last week, President Biden signed an Executive Order to Strengthen America's Forests, Boost Wildlife Resilience and Combat Global Deforestation. Follow the link for a good, detailed description of the Executive Order. Forest Carbon Newsletter for Forest Landowners in the Northeast Securing Northeast Forest Carbon Program (SNFCP) is a cooperative program of the State Foresters from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It is funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service. SNFCP seeks to educate forest landowners in the seven-state region about their many options relative to the forest carbon growing in the trees on their lands. This effort seeks actions that secure forest carbon in the region as one means of addressing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. If you would like to see regular communications from SNFCP to learn more about forest carbon, sign up for email list. Follow Us! |