ESFPA E-News

2025 Fall Forestry Roundtable Agenda & Registration

This year’s ARC/ESFPA Fall Forestry Roundtable will be held on Monday, November 3rd, at SUNY Adirondack from 8:45 AM - 4:00 PM. 

There will be a total of 5 sessions that cover the following topics: 

• Session 1: NYS Reforestation, Regenerate NY and State Forest Update
• Session 2: RPTL 480a and Future Forest Tax Policy
• Session 3: Assessing the Climate Value of New York’s Wood Products
• Session 4: ForestConnect
• Session 5: Mass Timber

The full agenda has been finalized and can be viewed here:

If you are planning on attending, please use this link to register. 

We look forward to seeing you!

European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

As we reported in an alert last week, the European Commission (EC) issued a proposal that reverses its previous statement that EUDR implementation would be delayed by one year. The announcement may be found here. 

Under the proposal, the one-year delay to December 2026 would still apply to “micro and small enterprises,” but for medium and large-sized companies, the implementation date remains December 30, 2025. A six-month grace period is offered under the proposal “for checks and enforcement.”
 
Other notable elements of the proposal are:

• Downstream operators and traders of products already placed on the EU market will no longer be required to submit due diligence statements (DDS).
• Micro and small primary operators will only have to submit a one-off declaration to the IT system rather than for each shipment.

According to AF&PA, this announcement goes directly against the August 21 Joint Statement between the U.S. and EU on the trade deal struck between the two countries. The joint statement acknowledged the U.S. as negligible risk with the EU committing to work to avoid trade disruptions. This move risks over $3.5 billion in critical U.S. forest products exports to the EU. 

Final implementation will depend on whether the European Parliament and Council approve or offer further amendments to the proposal. Several of our national affiliates have asked the U.S. administration to engage through continued trade negotiations. The next few weeks will be critical in where the EUDR goes.

Assemblymember Deborah Glick Announces Retirement

Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D - Manhattan) and current chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee has announced that she will not run again in 2026.  Ms. Glick, 74, first ran for the Assembly in 1990, when her victory made her the first openly gay candidate ever elected to the State legislature. In the years since, she has chaired Assembly committees on Ethics and Guidance, Higher Education, Social Services, and Environmental Conservation. 

Ms. Glick intends to remain busy for the remainder of her term. “With another year left in my tenure, I will work hard to add to my accomplishments, because the world faces serious threats to clean water and clean air,” she says. “Our very health is threatened by dangerous chemicals in everyday products and ubiquitous plastic products and packaging made from fossil fuels and toxic materials.” She is also the lead sponsor of the Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation still pending in the Assembly as well as the TREES Act.

Hardwood Industry Makes Their Voice Heard

From The Hardwood Federation

On Tuesday, October 14, the Hardwood Federation transmitted a letter to Trump Administration officials making the case that U.S. hardwood companies should be included in any trade assistance programs addressing agriculture industries negatively impacted by trade and tariff policies. While the farming community, particularly those how harvest soybeans are the focus of significant attention as exports have slowed, it is important for decision makers at the highest level to understand that the hardwood industry, an important agricultural industry sector, is also suffering from uncertain global markets.  The letter was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutkin, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Over 430 hardwood mills, manufacturers, yards, logging companies, and suppliers signed on to the letter.

Working with Monument Advocacy, a D.C. based consulting group hired by the Federation to increase our outreach capacity, the industry letter has resulted in significant attention from the press.  You can see a sample of recent stories covering the letter here. And we are not done yet.  Monument continues to share the letter with state and local press outlets and connect hardwood industry members with journalists as requested. If you have press contacts in your local area, feel free to share the letter and encourage coverage.

Articles from home states are also being shared with Members of Congress.  The federal government shutdown has closed the doors of many offices, but officials are still working in their home states.  It’s a great time to share the letter with your representatives and senators.  You can find office e-mail addresses at Contact.Gov.

The Hardwood Federation continues to focus advocacy efforts on raising awareness of current challenges facing the industry and the need to structure trade agreements that support exports or provide bridge support to sustain hardwood operations until such deals can be achieved. Thank you to everyone that has supported the Hardwood Federation as we make every effort to address the challenges of today.