We are pleased to announce the NYSAF 2020 Annual Meeting, to be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Syracuse, New York, January 22-24, 2020.

The Meeting Agenda as of January 16th is available here.

Reserve your hotel room now! The low meeting rate of $101 plus taxes will expire when the room block is full or January 6th, whichever comes first. After that, rooms will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the DoubleTree Hotel directly at the numbers listed on the left and mention the New York SAF Meeting to reserve your room.

2020 Theme: New York’s Forests and Climate Change Policy.
In April 2019, New York State passed one of the most comprehensive and sweeping pieces of legislation regarding climate change and government policy in the nation. The purpose of this bill was to establish the New York State Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) to adopt measures to put the state on a path to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by eighty-five percent by 2050, and net zero emissions in all sectors of the economy. As a result of this legislation, the winter meeting will focus on what this potentially means to New York’s forest resources and its landowners.

Wednesday Workshops: Earn extra CFE credits! Pre-meeting workshops on Wednesday afternoon. From 1:00 pm-5:15 pm we will offer (Please Note: workshops run simultaneously so you may only register for one):

• WORKSHOP A: Current Topics in Invasive Forest Pest Monitoring and Management in NYS (Four (4) Categroy 1 CFE credits. NYSDEC Pesticide Credits have been approved for Four (4) credits, Category 2, 25, 3a and 9; and Two (2) credits Category 6a. ISA has approved 4 CEU credits). -- Topics will include: Oak Wilt, Spotted Lantern Fly and others as they review the current list of potential invasive and problematic species. Workshop attendees will leave with an understanding of these impending pests and insight as to the policy and actions being taken to address them. Course will last 4 hours. Presenters include Justin Perry, Bureau Chief, and Jerry Carlson, Chief Research Scientist, Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Division of Lands and Forests, NYSDEC; Ethan Angell, Horticultural Inspector 2, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; Jessica Cancelliere, NYSDEC Research Scientist and Forest Health Diagnostician; and Rob Cole, NYSDEC Senior Forester, Oak Wilt incident commander.

• WORKSHOP B: Practical Ethics Workshop (Four (4) Categroy 1 CFE credits.) -- presented by Marianne Patinelli-Dubay. This workshop will introduce a variety of approaches to ethical problem solving. We will learn about six of the primary methods that we employ every day when faced with ethically weighted situations. 

• WORKSHOP C: Regenerate NY forestry practices cost-share program and the application process using NY Grants Gateway (Four (4) Categroy 1 CFE credits.) -- presented by Jason Drobnack and Dan Gaidasz, NYSDEC.  DEC forestry staff will cover the “Guidelines and Application Instructions” for the newly established “Regenerate NY” forestry practices cost share program.  Key items such as approved practices, practice plans, application timeframes, award amounts and other program details will be covered.  Instruction will be provided on the use of New York’s on-line “Grants Gateway”, that is required to be used to make application. Cost share funds are available for application preparation and submission for landowners that choose to utilize a consultant forester rather than handling the application process themselves. 

Wednesday Evening:  NYSAF Executive Committee Meeting from 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm.

Thursday-Friday Regular Meeting: The regular meeting will begin at 9:00 am on Thursday, January 23rd with opening remarks and keynote address. General sessions, breakout (technical) sessions, and the annual Business Meeting will run through lunch on Friday January 24th.

Thursday evening events: Poster Session and Alumni Socials. Any individual interested in presenting a poster at the annual meeting should contact Chris Nowak at canowak@esf.edu 

Friday Afternoon Workshops: Earn extra CFE credits! There will be three post-meeting workshops taking place from 1:45-4:30 pm. (Please Note: workshops run simultaneously so you may only register for one): 

• WORKSHOP D: Their Land, Their Legacy: A Workshop on Legacy Planning to Keep Forests as Forests. (Two and a half (2.5) Categroy 1 CFE credits) -- presented by Dr. Shorna Allred, Associate Professor at Cornell University, and Kristina Ferrare, CCE Onondaga’s Forestry Program Specialist, and Kimberly Rothman an estate attorney in Bousquet Holstein, PLLC. Few challenges faced by landowners are more important than the issue of passing their land and its responsibilities on to the next generation. Many landowners want to conserve their woods but don’t know about conservation options and how to involve family members in the future ownership and operation of their lands. Allred and Ferrare will help participants by connecting them with Legacy Outreach Resources to help landowners consider the future of their forests. Rothman will present on the legal aspects of estate planning tools and options, and a panel of landowners will discuss their conservation challenges and decisions. In this workshop, professionals who work with landowners will learn about landowner decision options relating to the future of their land and to better inform them with effective and award-winning outreach resources. In addition, participants can develop and deliver their own effective conservation-based estate planning programs, applicable to the northeast region, using our publications: Protecting Your Legacy, Their Land, Their Legacy, andUsing a Will to Pass on your Land.

• WORKSHOP E: Tree Farm Inspector Training. (Two and a half (2.5) Categroy 1 CFE credits) -- presented by Annica McGuirk, American Forest Foundation. The American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) recognizes the commitment of US family forest owners to protect wildlife habitat and watersheds, to conserve soil, and to provide recreation for their communities while producing wood. The ATFS Standards of Sustainability require that landowners develop and implement a management plan in a manner to protect the future productivity of the forest. Inspecting foresters assess that the standards are being met and recommend certification as appropriate. Participants will learn the history of ATFS; review the 2015-2020 Standards of Sustainability; understand the role an Inspecting Forester, and become an ATFS Qualified Inspecting Forester (provided educational requirements are met).

• WORKSHOP F: Using the Forest Adaptation Resources (Two and a half (2.5) Categroy 1 CFE credits.) -- presented by Patricia Leopold, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS). The Adaptation Workbook enables natural resource professionals to consider the potential effects of climate change on forests and to then design actions that can help reduce risk and increase the ability to cope with changing conditions. It provides a flexible process that accommodates a wide variety of geographic locations, scales, ecosystems, land uses, management goals, and ownership types. In this workshop, participants will bring their own project (with management goals and objectives) or work with an example project (provided) to quickly tackle each step of the five-step adaptation workbook.

STUDENTS TAKE NOTE! We are working hard to provide an awesome student experience this year. Look for great opportunities to mingle with professionals and meet other students.

SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS: Download a Sponsor-Exhibitor Information Packet for more information about options and registration fees.  If you are interested in sponsoring an event or exhibiting please contact Jeff Denkenberger.

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION: Be sure to attend the Awards Luncheon on Thursday January 23rd to congratulate the 2019 award winners. And, because it’s never too early to start thinking of deserving colleagues, feel free to review the Award Criteria and consider submitting a Nomination Form to Jim Coufal for next year's 2020 Awards.

Register Now! Register online by clicking above, or download a MAIL-IN REGISTRATION FORM.

Cancellations made prior to 1/10/20 will be entitled to a refund less $50 processing fees; no refunds for cancellations after that date.