DEC awards $45M to support tree nursery and forest product markets

ALBANY | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton has announced $45 million in grants to 44 projects promoting forest resilience and climate mitigation through sustainable forest management and reforestation while contributing to the State's goal of planting 25 million trees. Through DEC's Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) grant initiative, projects across the state will help businesses expand tree seedling and forest product capacity, production, and markets; increase access to affordable native trees; and grow New York State's forest products economy. "At a time when the forest products sector faces significant economic pressures, these grants provide a welcome investment in New York State's forest-based economy," Commissioner Lefton said. "This funding will strengthen markets for low-grade and locally sourced wood, expand processing capacity, and improve the efficiency and competitiveness of forest product businesses across the state. By helping businesses put more of the wood harvested in our forests to productive use, these investments will create jobs, support rural economies, and keep working forests economically viable." These projects will create new green jobs; provide field-based training across the various stages of the reforestation and forest product sectors; provide critical resources to tree nurseries, seed collection and reforestation operations, forest landowners, forestry businesses, and other organizations working to expand forest product markets and support wood as a renewable resource. Completed projects will provide an unprecedented level of support to the reforestation supply chain over the next year as grantees use the funding to: Increase seed collection efforts to harvest more than 5 million native tree seeds Grow more than 1 million locally adapted tree seedlings to increase regional availability Distribute nearly 500,000 tree seeds and 310,000 tree seedlings for use in reforestation projects Foster partnerships between more than 250 seed collectors, nurseries, and forestry practitioners to boost supply chain efficiency, reduce seedling waste, and maximize seedling survival Create more than 56 full-time green jobs and more than 30 paid internships and apprenticeships Produce educational materials, develop curriculum, and hold workshops to train more than 400 students, landowners, and professionals on the phases of reforestation Standardize seed collection protocols to prevent overharvesting and increase seed viability, with special consideration for native species that are culturally significant to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Develop new technology and tools to improve inventory and tracking of tree seeds and seedlings and increase operational efficiency In addition, completed projects will provide groundbreaking support to the state's forest product sector as grantees use the funding to: Create 24 new green jobs Provide field training for nearly 100 forestry professionals Process an additional 1,000 truckloads of low-grade timber to help make long-term forest management more cost effective for private forest landowners Salvage more than 24 additional truckloads of wood from street tree removals and building reclamations that would have otherwise gone to landfills Increasing capacity to purchase more than 400 additional truckloads of timber to encourage sustainable forest management on private lands Providing education and technical assistance to more than 175 family forest landowners on sustainable forest management and planning Creating more than 50 new sustainable forest management plans Increasing capacity to conduct forest inventory and planning on more than 80,000 additional acres of private forestland REGIONAL AWARDED PROJECTS Warren County Lyme Adirondack Forest Company LLC, $5,080,250: The grant supports increased lumber production through enhanced short- and long-term planning efforts and enhanced capacity for timber harvesting and forestry operations. Clinton County KS Nursery, $250,000: The grant supports collection of native, locally sourced seeds to produce native, climate resilient trees seedlings through a start-up tree nursery operation to strengthen New York's forest-based markets. Mace Chasm Farm, $105,000: The grant supports production of native bareroot and grafted tree seedlings by increasing staff capacity, marketing, and developing a peer-to-peer knowledge transfer network of seed collector, propagation, and field growing operators. Weathered Tree LLC, $236,000: The grant supports increased seed collection and tree production by increasing nursery operational capacity, focusing on production of oak and hickory trees. Essex County Ausable Freshwater Center, $2,000,036: The grant supports increased tree seedling production by enhancing seed procurement, and tree seedling production, post-harvest, sales, and distribution capacity, and marketing. Franklin County Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, $382,737: The grant supports the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Native Plant Nursery to expand production of locally and culturally relevant native tree seedlings needed to meet restoration objectives in Akwesasne through an increased emphasis on seed collection efforts, additional nursery operation capacity, and community engagement. The 25 Million Trees Initiative was launched by Gov. Hochul in recognition of the importance of New York's forests to mitigate climate change, combating extreme heat, and making communities more resilient. Whether you plant one tree or many, every New Yorker can contribute to the statewide total by recording the trees they plant in DEC's Tree Tracker. To learn more about how to contribute to the 25 Million Trees Initiative, visit DEC's webpage.

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DEC awards $45M to support tree nursery and forest product markets

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