III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 113 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

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.