AF&PA Urges New York Governor Hochul to Veto TREES Act
WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock released the following statement in response to New York’s Tropical Rainforest Economic & Environmental Sustainability (TREES) Act (AB 9711):
"AF&PA asks Governor Hochul to once again veto New York’s TREES Act which continues to ignore the fact that the U.S. paper and wood products industry champions sustainable forestry and does not contribute to deforestation.
"Governor Hochul vetoed similar legislation last year, finding that the ‘bill's extensive certification requirements would also impose significant burdens on businesses – particularly small businesses – that want to do business with the State.’
"The proposal would have significant effects for our industry’s circular supply chain and continues to raise serious definitional concerns and questions on the trade restrictive approach to forest management. Many of the same concerns that led the European Union to recently delay the onerous European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) are also present in this legislation, including issues surrounding certification, traceability, and forest classification requirements.
"We urge Governor Kathy Hochul to veto New York’s TREES Act as it will severely harm the forest products industry which employs more than 26,000 New Yorkers.”