[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15742]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL FOREST PRODUCTS WEEK

  (Mr. WESTERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
tremendous impact forests have on our rural economies and natural 
environment nationwide. Next week is National Forest Products Week.
  In Arkansas, we know that growing and sustaining jobs in forest 
communities begins with ensuring that working forests continue to 
thrive. Most working forests--over 70 percent--are privately owned by 
families, small and large businesses, and an increasingly broad array 
of Americans who invest in forest ownership.
  When forest owners have confidence in their ability to manage and 
sell their timber productively, they will continue to grow and invest 
in forests and provide the foundation for the rest of the forest 
products supply chain. Federal policies have a significant impact on 
the long-term economic and environmental benefits we derive from these 
working forests and the livelihoods of those who own and manage them.
  The forest products industry represents a key economic driver for 
rural economies nationwide, totaling nearly $92.8 billion in GDP. In my 
home State of Arkansas, environmentally friendly forestry-related 
businesses support more than 62,000 jobs, with more than $2.4 billion 
in annual payroll.
  A strong marketplace for forest products helps keep rural America 
employed and U.S. forests robust. These healthy forests, in turn, 
provide crucial habitat for species, filter America's drinking water, 
sequester carbon, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities for the 
public.

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