Catskill WoodNet News: October 2010

October 2010

Bulletin Board

Biomass prefeasibility study funding is available to wood products businesses through the Watershed Agricultural Council's Forestry Program.
Program announcement and grant application.

For Sale
Rough air-dried Pine, Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Oak, Curly Maple Lumber for sale. Mostly 4/4, some thicker. Finishing available. Call Dwayne at Cannonsville Lumber at
(607) 467-3380.

For Sale
2 spindle carving machine. Good condition. In running condition. 10" max dia. 48" length $900. Contact Stephen Robin at (845) 679-8527 or [email protected].

Events

New Amsterdam Market
This upscale market is held weekly in the fall at the Fulton Fish Market in New York City. Catskill WoodNet has been invited to host a booth at the market on December 5, 2010. We'd like to showcase some of our members' products! Please see this announcement if you are interested in having us sell your products for you at this event. We also have booth space for member business cards and brochures.

Sustainable Forest Futures Innovation Workshop
My predecessor, Collin Miller, is organizing a workshop on Lean Manufacturing for Small and Medium-Sized Wood Products Companies. The workshop will be presented in New York on two dates. WAC will reimburse all but $25 of the registration fee for any Catskill WoodNet member who attends one of these workshops.

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor,

Greetings Catskill WoodNet members and all recipients of this newsletter:

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as I'm sure almost all of you know by now, Emerald Ash Borer, or EAB, is here in the Catskills. It was found in Ulster and Greene Counties this summer, and both of these counties are now under multiple quarantines by NY Department of Agriculture and Markets (DAM), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Due to the number of questions I've heard from folks about EAB, I decided to devote this issue of Catskill WoodNet News to this forest pest.

Keeping in mind this newsletter's readership (not just wood products businesses), I've provided a variety of links to help you deal with EAB whatever your connection to the forest.

For general information, please see this website.
For home and landowners, I've posted management recommendations from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE).
For municipalities CCE's "community preparedness workbook" to help municipalities figure out what steps they should take.
For those in the forest products industry, I've provided a link that describes the compliance agreements for various ash-using industries, as well as an example compliance agreement from a local sawmill.

We are also very fortunate to have two feature articles written especially for WoodNet News by Ethan Angell of DAM and Erin Brady of NYSDEC, explaining, in plain English, what these regulations mean for area businesses. I encourage all of you to read these articles, as they help make sense of the EAB requirements for businesses. The good news is that for many wood products businesses, while the regulations represent an annoyance, complying with them doesn't have to significantly affect your bottom line.

While I'm certainly open to receiving questions about EAB, I am still learning about this insect right alongside all of you. Fortunately, the Empire State Forest Products Association (ESFPA) produced this contact list of experts if you have specific questions about EAB, regulations, etc.

Without a doubt, EAB is "B-A-D" for the Catskills, but by working together both as industry and residents of the region, we can slow the beetle's spread and continue providing the quality wood products that make our home great.

Best wishes,

Wood Products Utilization and Marketing Specialist

Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program

(607) 865-7790 ext. 112

[email protected]

P.S. Buy local firewood!

Featured Articles

We are very fortunate to have two feature articles written especially for WoodNet News by Ethan Angell of DAM and Erin Brady of DEC explaining, in plain English, how to comply with quarantine zones and firewood regulations.

Emerald Ash Borer Regulations... Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask! by Etan Angell, DAM

A Summary of Firewood Regulations by Erin Brady, NYSDEC

EAB Links

General information:

This website, assembled by The New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse and CCE, provides background information on EAB including its biology as well as signs and impacts of infestation.

For businesses:
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provides links that describe the various types of compliance agreements, based on your type of business and whether or not your facility is located in a quarantine zone. To learn about what requirements APHIS has for your facility, simply click on the link that appropriately describes your business underneath the heading "Compliance Agreements for the Following Regulated Articles." I've also included an example agreement from a wood products business based in Sullivan County.

Whether you have specific questions about quarantines, regulations, or how to obtain and satisfy compliance agreements, this list of expert contacts can help your business address EAB.

For home/landowners:
Worried about the impact EAB will have on your home or woodlot? Before you cut, check out these recommendations from CCE, and be sure to contact a professional forester for management advice.

For municipalities:
As much of a threat as EAB poses to landowners and wood products businesses, our towns and villages (and tax dollars!) are perhaps most at risk. Infested and dead ash street trees can quickly become safety hazards that must be removed, often at high expense. CCE's new document on community preparedness can help your local government plan for EAB's impact on trees along streets and in residential areas.

Your privacy is very important to us; therefore we will not sell, rent, or give your name or email address to anyone. And, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every Catskill WoodNet News.

Catskill WoodNet and the Pure Catskills branding campaign are economic initiatives of the Watershed Agricultural Council. The Watershed Agricultural Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City Watershed region. The WAC is supported by the U.S. Forest Service, The New York City Environmental Protection, U.S.D.A and other sources. The Watershed Agricultural Council is an equal opportunity employer and provider.