We’ve received the following press release from the John F. Sheehan, Director of Communications at The Adirondack Council:

NYS Darrel Aubertine, D-Watertown, and Assemblywoman Roann Destito, D-Rome, introduced legislation creating the New York Wood Products Development Council to help steer attention and federal dollars into programs and investments that will spur the development of new products and markets.

The legislation was introduced [yesterday] at a 12:15 p.m. press conference hosted by the Northern Forest Center and the Empire State Forest Products Association. Also on hand for the press conference were Assemblyman David Koon, Brian Houseal, Executive Director of the Adirondack Council; John Bartow, Executive Director of the Tug Hill Commission, Jeff Williams of the New York Farm Bureau and others.

New products would include renewable biomass energy from wood chips and pellets, as well as cellulosic methane gas (a clean, combustible gas produced as wood rots and ferments).

I have pdfs of rundowns of the Sustainable Economic Initiative for the four-state (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine) region, of which the Wood Products Development Council is a part if anyone is interested.