BILL NUMBER:  S6700

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
establishing a young logger apprentice program

 PURPOSE :

To establish a young logger apprentice program

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends § 1950(4)(gg) of the Education Law authorizing a
board of cooperative education services to supervise, encourage, and
promote a young logger apprentice program within New York State and
establish suggested standards for apprenticeship agreement between
prospective young loggers and the wood products development council.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 EXISTING LAW :

Article 40 of the Education Law pertains to Boards of Cooperative
Educational Services (BOCES). Section 1950 of this article establishes
BOCES pending the creation of intermediate districts.  Pursuant to
this section, BOCES may provide training for employment to adults with
consideration given to occupations and industries on demand. The
              

boards may also establish reduced tuition rates for such training.
Training for employment for adults must be offered through state
approved sequences or parts of a secondary career education
instruction. Participating adults may be awarded certificates of
completion, but they may not earn credit based on their participation
towards a high school diploma. The term "adult" in this section is
defined as anyone under the age of 21 that has received a high school
diploma, or over the age of 21 who has not received a high school
diploma.

Current law does not specifically allow for a young logger apprentice
program. Similar programs, such as young farmer apprentice programs,
do exist in other states as a means of encouraging young people to
consider entering into the agriculture industry. Granting BOCES
jurisdiction over such a curriculum encourages participation in the
program and encourages the programs to take root and give them
authenticity.

 JUSTIFICATION :

The sale and harvest of forest products are critically important to
the management of forest lands. But poor logging threatens future
forest productivity by potentially damaging soil and polluting water
sources. Over-cutting or selective removal of only the highest quality
trees can leave the forest overpopulated with defective, low-value
trees that crowds desirable growth. Much of the institutional
knowledge related to effective and environmentally secure timber
harvest will be lost unless young people learn that logging is a vital
industry with economically advantageous career opportunities. This
legislation proposes a Young Logger Apprentice Program to encourage
younger generations to consider the timber harvest profession and
receive a didactic experience by shadowing and working under current
loggers.

According to the New York Wood Products Development Council, New
York's land mass is over 60% forested, which amounts to 19 million
acres of forestland. Despite this, much of New York's forested lands
are underutilized as an economic asset and the industry is declining
due to foreign competition, changes in federal tax laws, and evolving
demographics and attitudes surrounding timber harvest and the wood
products industry. Unlike farmers, who in recent years, have enjoyed a
revitalized economy through a nationwide interest in farm-to-table and
buying local initiatives, with many consumers being more informed
about food systems and sustainable agriculture, loggers, at times,
have been vilified and the profession characterized as the despoiling
of natural lands.

Rather than defiling and devastating natural forests, responsible
logging supports forest health by weeding out infestations and
invasive species. A well-managed forest is not only aesthetically
pleasing but effective in preserving the watershed system and is
invaluable to the production of timber and other forest products. New
York made maple syrup, paper pulp, furniture, finished hardwoods, and
biomass energy, all rely on the growth and careful harvesting of New
York's forests. As such, logging has the potential to be a significant
vehicle for economic activity across the state.

Logging entails a number of jobs, including fallers, those who cut
down trees by hand, operators, those who operate the machinery used to
fell trees, and graders and scalers, who check the amount and quality
of the wood. However, the number of all logging workers nationwide is
expected to fall 4% from 2014-2024, according to the projections
provided by the United States Bureau of Labor. The number of fallers
is projected to also decline by 17% during the same time period.

In 2011 about 47,000 New Yorkers worked in the forest product
industry, earning approximately $2 billion in high-paying jobs in
small rural communities. Nearly half of these jobs are tied directly
to the state's standing timber resource. By enacting legislation to
create a young logger apprentice program under the direction of BOCES,
New York helps recruit young loggers to the profession and preserves
the wood products industry as a vital component of the state's
agricultural sector. For all of the aforementioned reasons it is
essential that this legislation is enacted.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.