No pun intended, but New York State is looking to grow its forestry and wood industry.

Kathy Whyte/ WNBF News
Kathy Whyte/ WNBF News
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The State held its first Forestry and Wood Products Summit October 25 at the Broome County Regional Farmers Market in the Town of Dickinson.

While the forests are nice to look at, many people don’t realize the big impact the resource has on the economy.  63% of New York is forested and wood contributes $7 billion in the Southern Tier and Western New York and 25,000 jobs.  Statewide, forest products are credited for a $23 billion economic contribution.

Kathy Whyte/ WNBF News
Kathy Whyte/ WNBF News
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The state is looking at more support for the maple industry, marketing and research into sustainability.

In addition, New York State environmental officials say working with hunters in managing the deer population is also important.  Hunting brings in dollars to the state economy but the deer are also responsible for maintaining balance and the health of the state’s forests.

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