This Month's Topics: - New July Trail Supporter Patch – Camping
- Regenerate NY Grantees Finish Projects
- New and Revised Regulations for New York Forest Tax Law
- Asian Longhorned Beetle Pool Surveys
- DEC Celebrates Winners of Student Arbor Day Poster Contest
- Urban and Community Forestry Corner
- Community Spotlight
- Upcoming Events
- What We're Reading
July Trail Supporter Patch Now Available 
Want to show your support for New York's great outdoors? Order the latest trail supporter patch today! We'll be releasing five recreation themed designs throughout 2022, each available for a limited time only, so don't miss out! Or you can purchase the full set of all five designs at any time, while supplies last. Just released, the fourth design features the designated campsite disk. Patches can be ordered: The proceeds from patch sales go into the Conservation Fund's Outdoor Recreation, Trail Maintenance, and Development account to help maintain and enhance DEC's non-motorized recreation trails throughout the state. For more information on the Trail Supporter Patch, visit DEC's website.
Regenerate NY Grantees Finish Projects Regenerate NY is a cost sharing grant program that assists private landowners in growing the next generation of forests crucial for mitigating climate change, providing wildlife habitat, protecting air and water quality, and supplying important renewable resources. There are four possible land practices covered under this program: - Afforestation/Reforestation
- Forest Stand Restoration
- Competing Vegetation Control
- Deer Exclosure Fencing
The second round of grants are now available, on a first-come, first-served basis to private landowners with 10 to 1,000 acres! To apply for a grant, go to Grants Gateway and search for Regenerate NY 2022. Contact RegenNY@dec.ny.gov for questions. 
The first round of Regenerate NY grants was released in April 2021. The program has been very successful, with several projects or phases already completed: - Deer exclosure in Washington County: An abandoned hay field cleared in 2016 was planted with two-year-old Norway spruce and Japanese larch seedlings. Regenerate NY awarded funding for a deer fence to protect these seedlings until they are above the height that deer can browse.
- Land clearing and site preparation in Chenango County prior to deer exclosure project: High risk and hazard trees were removed to prevent damage to a future deer exclosure fence. The goal of the fence will be to allow for new, desirable regeneration to grow above deer browse height in areas of forest stands that are near maturity and potentially ready for partial overstory removal in 10-15 years.
- Afforestation and Competing Vegetation Control in Steuben County (partial completion): The landowner looks to establish 12.5 acres of black walnut. To establish this new forest, existing unacceptable walnut stems are in the process of being coppiced, supplemental walnut seedlings are being planted, and invasive species are being controlled. It is anticipated the project will result in 3,100 thriving black walnut trees on the 12.5 acres.
DEC Releases New and Revised Regulations for New York's Forest Tax Law Program DEC is encouraging the public to submit comments on proposed changes to the Real Property Tax Law Section 480a, also known as the Forest Tax Law. The Forest Tax Law Program provides private forest landowners a significant real property tax reduction on their enrolled forest lands in exchange for long term management of their forest under the direction of a professional forester. A public comment period will be open from July 13 to September 19, and two virtual public comment hearings will be held on September 13 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The finalized changes are scheduled to go into effect March 1, 2023. The proposed changes include, but are not limited to: - Extending the period that an approved forest management plan would cover from 15 years to 20 years and requiring fewer plan updates.
- Providing more flexibility to enrolled landowners to complete forestry treatments by changing the work schedule from year-by-year deadlines to a ten-year work window.
- Strengthening forest sustainability requirements on enrolled lands, such as explicitly banning high grading and requiring efforts to establish adequate forest regeneration.
High grading involves removing most of the commercially valuable trees at the expense of future growth and future financial return, often leaving a forest in poor condition. - Establishing a training requirement for consulting foresters working with Forest Tax Law clients to help set clear expectations and standardize Forest Tax Law administration across the state.
The public is encouraged to submit comments in writing to: NYSDEC
Private Lands and Forest Utilization Section, Bureau of Forest Resource Management
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7254 or by email to: bslmregs@dec.ny.gov. For more information about the new and revised regulations, as well as how to participate in the public comment hearings, visit DEC's website.
Check Your Pool Filter for Asian Longhorned Beetle 
Asian longhorned beetle is active from now through Labor Day. DEC invites pool owners to check filters for the invasive insect regularly and submit a report if any are found. ALB attacks and kills maples, birches, willows, and other hardwoods. They emerge from infested trees in the late summer to find a new host. The beetles are 1.5 inches long, have long black-and-white antennae, and have black and white spots on their body. They should not be confused with the native white-spotted pine sawyer, which has a distinctive white spot on their back, below their head. 
No pool? You can still help! Be on the lookout for ALB exit holes, sawdust accumulating at the base of trees, oozing sap or pits in bark. If found: - Email photos to the Forest Health Program at foresthealth@dec.ny.gov; or
- mail insects to DEC's Forest Health Diagnostics Lab for identification, Attn: Jessica Cancelliere, 108 Game Farm Road, Delmar, NY 12054.
Learn more about ALB surveys on DEC's website.
WNY Tree Planting Ceremony Celebrates Winners of Statewide Student Arbor Day Poster Contest 
DEC's Urban Forestry program's annual 4th and 5th grade state-wide student Arbor Day poster contest returned this year. The poster contest seeks to inform students about the benefits of trees in our daily lives. The theme for 2021 was: "Healthy Trees, Healthy People." In this contest, the designs from one state winner and 11 runners-up are selected to be featured in a calendar. The winner of the statewide contest was fifth-grader, Cecilia Fedeson of North Tonawanda Intermediate in Western New York. Fedeson's classmate, Grace Gabel, was chosen as a runner up. To congratulate the girls on their success, the school was awarded a tree of their choice – a Black Hills spruce (Picea glauca var. densata). The tree was planted in the school yard as part of a school-wide ceremony to commemorate the occasion. All of North Tonawanda Intermediate School – 4th-6th grade students and numerous teachers and aides – joined family members, tree care professionals, and local officials on the school lawn on the afternoon of Friday, May 13. The 6th grade band played their instruments to kick off the event. Several local media outlets recorded and documented the ceremony, including a prime-time airing on Buffalo's Channel 2-WGRZ news. 
From the school, Principal Gregory Burgess, Superintendent Gregory Woytila, and visual arts instructor Melinda Wright spoke on behalf of Cecilia and Grace. North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec and Western New York Regional Representative of Governor Hochul's Office Jennifer Dunning also offered their congratulations to the students. NYS DEC Forester Nate Morey closed with remarks regarding the contest, Arbor Day, and information about the tree that was planted. Morey also presented Cecilia with a framed copy of her poster. The Black Hills spruce was planted by local company Northtowns Turf and Landscape, which donated their time and equipment for the ceremony. The tree was placed in the field at the north side of the school facing Ruie Road. It will be part of a project that includes an expanded playground, pavilion, sensory garden, and walking path. The involvement and enthusiasm of the students and staff at the school made the event a remarkable success. The tree will be a source of pride for the current students at North Tonawanda Intermediate and a reminder for future classes of the importance of trees and all that they do for us.
Urban and Community Forestry Corner 
Community Spotlight The Town of Lake George held an Arbor Day celebration that featured a tree planting, presentation and workshop from DEC's Tree City Coordinator Matt Viglucci and now-retired DEC Forester Jeff Speich. Both the town and village of Lake George are Tree City USA communities. Attendees celebrated by planting a sugar maple provided courtesy of Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District, developed tree pruning skills with a hands-on demonstration, and learned more about the Tree City USA program. Upcoming Events Webinar: How to talk about trees (and how not to)
September 13 at 12 p.m. Join us for this presentation by Dr. Paul Ries of Insightful Nature LLC. Paul has more than 35 years of experience in urban forestry including as a state urban forestry program manager and professor at Oregon State College, a former president of International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), and a developer of curricula for the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI). Register now (free, but required): https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/j.php?RGID=r660884628e3215174df71f4a71ecf38b Save the date: Workshop Assisted Migration & Invasive Trees in Urban Forestry
September 30 at 9:30 a.m.
Location: SUNY Morrisville Arboretum This workshop will focus on locally invasive trees and the impacts of assisted tree & shrub migration related to climate change with Professor Rebecca Hargrave. Registration coming soon! Something to read The NYS Urban Forestry Council Annual Report is out – and features great articles about the efforts of Tree Watertown and ReTree Schenectady – check it out! | 
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