Premier of Alberta Off of he Prom, 207 Lagstar Bukding, Edmontcn, Abeta TSK 266 Canada May 20, 2022 The Honorable Kathy Hochul Govemor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany NY 12224 United States Door [enter Iam writing to express my deep concer with respect to Senate Bill S5921A and Assembly Bill A6872A - New York Deforestation-Free Procurement Act Alberta shares New York's commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible forest practices. We commend the intent of the legislation; however, the bills, as they are currently written, do not fairly consider the world-class sustainable forest management practices of Alberta and Canada, which have been implemented specifically to prevent forest degradation and deforestation. If passed as currently written, these bills will create an unjustified, non-tariff barrier to Canadian forest products and forest risk commodities, and threaten jobs and supply chains of sustainably sourced products. Alberta respectfully requests that Canada’s boreal forest be excluded from these bills. Canada and the United States share a long-standing and positive trade relationship. This relationship contributes to prosperous economies for both countries, and provides a backbone of support to millions of jobs and communities on both sides of the border. As currently written, Senate Bill S5921A and Assembly Bill AGS72A will aise compliance costs for governments and suppliers, especially for small businesses. This will increase challenges and regulatory burdens throughout the supply chain, as well as jeopardize jobs in both Canada and the United States. For Alberta alone, the bills would impact forest product exports and affect nearly 40,000 jobs and more than CAD $2.6 billion in gross domestic product. These impacts would be felt primarily by our northern, rural, and Indigenous communities, which depend on forests and the forest sector for their livelihood. oi i. In 2020, Canada exported more than CAD $1.6 billion in wood, pulp, and paper products to New York. Canada supplied more than 50 per cent of New York State's wood, pulp, and paper products during the first nine months of 2021. The wide-ranging and negative impacts of these bills to both Americans and Canadians are critical to consider. This is particularly important as the world rallies to support co-operative relationships and sustainable growth to mitigate the devastating impact to lives and livelihoods created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. As currently drafted, these bills could represent an unjustified non-tariff barrier that is inconsistent with New Yorks obligations under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Govemment Procurement, Canada and the United States maintain extensive supply chain links in the forest sector to ensure both countries have secure and stable supplies of necessary goods from sustainable sources. These bills could put these important supply chains at risk. Alberta's and Canada’s world-leading sustainable forest management practices follow a Tigorous legislative and regulatory framework that prevents forest degradation and deforestation, as defined by the United Nations. Our regulatory framework directs mandatory reforestation following all harvesting—Alberta’s forest sector plants three trees. for every one tree harvested. It also prevents illegal forest practices and establishes performance measures for a range of environmental, social and cultural values, including ‘consultation with Indigenous peoples and protecting soils and genetic biodiversity. As a result, Alberta's and Canada's forest sector is internationally recognized for its commitment to sustainabilty. Just over 83 per cent of managed forest lands in Alberta alone are third-party certified as sustainably managed: a significant achievement when only 11 per cent of global forests share the same certification status. ‘Canadian forest products are sourced from ethically and sustainably managed forests, and they are vital in supporting our mutual goal of achieving a lower carbon economy. Lumber ‘and wood products store carbon for the long term and can be used to displace carbon or fossil fuel intensive building products. Alberta's forest sector is focused on enhancing the circular economy by using leftover residuals from sawmills (e.g., bark, wood chips, or sawdust) to support the production of low-carbon alternatives to fuels or plastics. 1 respectfully request that you amend Senate Bill S5921A and Assembly Bill AG6872A to exclude Canada's boreal forest and Canadian forest risk commodities. Doing so wil affirm Canada's and Alberta's commitment to sustainable forest management, and the high-quality, environmentally sound products our well-managed forests supply to our global customers. It wil also safeguard supply chains and jobs on both sides of the border. 1 welcome the opportunity to discuss the intent of Senate Bill S5921A and Assembly Bill AB872A - New York Deforestation-Free Procurement Act. tis critical that we work together to ensure this intent can be achieved while recognizing that Alberta's and Canada's forests can be trusted as ethically and sustainably managed to support our shared climate goals. ae Thank you for your attention to this matter. Yours yg Al ney PC ECA MLA Prmied of Abdgta ce: Honourable Nate Homer Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development Honourable Doug Schweitzer Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Mr. James Rajotte Alberta's Senior Representative to the United States Honorable Liz Krueger New York State Senator Honorable Kenneth Zebrowski New York State Assembly All Senators, New York State Senate All Assembly Members, New York State Assembly Honourable Mélanie Joly Minister of Foreign Affairs Honourable Mary Ng Minister of Intemational Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Natural Resources. Ms. Kirsten Hilman Ambassador of Canada to the United States Mr. Khawar Nasim Acting Consul General of Canada in New York, United States.