[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 113 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 113

         Commemorating the 2011 International Year of Forests.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 29, 2011

   Mr. Lugar (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Commemorating the 2011 International Year of Forests.

Whereas United Nations Resolution 61/193, adopted by the General Assembly on 
        December 20, 2006, designates the year 2011 as the International Year of 
        Forests;
Whereas the forests of the United States are essential to the health, 
        environment, social fabric, and economy of the United States, as well as 
        to the individual well-being of the people of the United States;
Whereas the forests of the United States are owned, managed, and conserved by a 
        mosaic of family, business, and public entities, with the largest 
        segment of forests owned by 11,000,000 Americans;
Whereas privately owned forests supply 92 percent of the trees harvested for the 
        wood products that the people of the United States use every day;
Whereas the forest products industry--

    (1) accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total United States 
manufacturing Gross Domestic Product (GDP);

    (2) is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 48 States; 
and

    (3) employs nearly 900,000 Americans;

Whereas wood products are one of the most environmentally friendly building 
        materials, resulting in a maximum reduction in energy use of 17 percent 
        and a more than 250 percent reduction in air and water pollution, when 
        compared to alternative materials;
Whereas forests supply more than 50 percent of the current renewable energy 
        consumed in the United States;
Whereas, as of 2011, the forests and forest products of the United States 
        sequester and store 12 percent of annual United States carbon emissions 
        and, with the proper incentives, can increase the percentage of annual 
        carbon emissions that are sequestered and stored;
Whereas 53 percent of the fresh water supply of the lower 48 States originates 
        in forests and \1/4\ of the supply originates in private forests;
Whereas 60 percent of at-risk plants and animals rely on private forests, and 
        more than 90 percent of at-risk species rely on all forests for habitat;
Whereas the 14,000,000 Americans who hunt and the 44,000,000 Americans who fish 
        depend on private forests for most of the habitat for fish and wildlife;
Whereas the United States leads the world in sustainable forest practices;
Whereas even while forested acreage as a whole is increasing, permanent loss of 
        forests in ecologically and economically important areas is expected to 
        increase, with 57,000,000 acres of private forests facing significant 
        development pressures in the next 2 decades;
Whereas more than 58,000,000 acres of United States forests are at risk due to 
        insects and disease, especially invasive forest pests, which threaten 
        the health and vitality of forests;
Whereas more than 400,000,000 acres of private forests are at risk due to 
        wildfires, especially in areas where forested boundaries and communities 
        meet; and
Whereas more than 170,000,000 acres of privately owned forests will change hands 
        in the next 2 decades, with a potential loss of the public benefits 
        derived from those forests: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate, in commemoration of the 2011 
International Year of Forests--
            (1) recognizes the multiple contributions that forests of 
        the United States make to the traditions, health, and way-of-
        life of the United States;
            (2) recognizes the growing threats faced by forests of the 
        United States; and
            (3) expresses support and appreciation for--
                    (A) the 11,000,000 people of the United States who 
                own the majority of the private forests of the United 
                States; and
                    (B) the thousands of forestry professionals who 
                work every day in the forests of the United States who 
                work to conserve the publicly and privately owned 
                forests of the United States.
                                 <all>