[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TIMBER INNOVATION ACT

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last week, with 
Representative Suzan DelBene, I introduced the Timber Innovation Act to 
help find new and innovative uses for wood as a building material.
  Proudly, the Allegheny National Forest is a part of the Fifth 
Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Communities in my district 
depend on the revenue from high-value timbering and forest products 
that are generated by the forest as well as privately held lands 
throughout the Commonwealth.
  This bipartisan legislation encourages the advancement of tall wood 
building construction along with research and development.
  Mr. Speaker, since our earliest days, we have used wood as a building 
material. New technology will help expand and develop the use of wood 
in larger construction projects. Currently, most wood buildings do not 
exceed three to four stories in height, but we hope to change that.
  There is so much potential for mass timber, and this bill truly 
encourages new advancements of wood construction. This bill is good for 
both consumers and the industry, and I encourage my colleagues to 
support this bipartisan bill and advance the sustainable forest 
management and opportunities in our rural communities.

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