    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9197--OCT. 17, 2014

    Proclamation 9197 of October 17, 2014

    National Forest Products Week, 2014

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Our Nation's forests are an essential element of our urban spaces and
    rural landscape. Covering more than 750 million acres across America,
    they create opportunities for recreation and habitats for wildlife, and
    their products play an integral role in our Nation's economy and our
    daily lives. Paper and wood products allow us to communicate, teach, and
    learn. They provide us shelter and energy, and they package and deliver
    our food, medicine, and manufactured goods. And whether it is a paper
    containing the Gettysburg Address or a child's crayon masterpiece, these
    products capture life's memorable moments across generations. During
    National Forest Products Week, we celebrate the many uses of our natural
    bounty, and we renew our commitment to protect our forests and ensure
    these resources endure.
    Forest products are recyclable and renewable, and in a changing climate,
    responsible management of our Nation's forests is even more important.
    Our forests purify the air we breathe and provide clean water to our
    communities. By absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, forests and forest
    products help reduce the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, removing
    roughly 16 percent of our carbon emissions. In the face of increased
    threats to our forests--including diseases and insect infestations that
    spread more quickly, droughts that last longer, and wildfires that burn
    more frequently and more intensely--we are taking action to preserve
    these vital pieces of our environment and economy. As part of my
    Administration's Climate Action Plan, we are increasing the resilience
    of our country's forests and preserving their key role in mitigating
    climate change.
    My Administration is committed to safeguarding these green spaces across
    our country for the use and enjoyment of our children and grandchildren.
    Through our America's Great Outdoors Initiative, we are empowering
    communities to do their part to protect their forested land, from urban
    parks to working forests. When cities and towns have the support they
    need to conserve their own resources, neighborhoods thrive and local
    economies grow.
    For centuries, our forests have shaped the character of our Nation and
    contributed to its expansion, and we have an obligation to ensure the
    next generation has access to the same drivers of progress. This week,
    we resolve to do our part to protect our forests and secure a cleaner,
    healthier future for posterity.
    To recognize the importance of products from our forests, the Congress,
    by Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 123), as amended, has designated the
    week beginning on the third Sunday in October of each year as ``Na

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    tional Forest Products Week'' and has authorized and requested the
    President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, do hereby proclaim October 19 through October 25, 2014, as
    National Forest Products Week. I call on the people of the United States
    to join me in recognizing the dedicated individuals who are responsible
    for the stewardship of our forests and for the preservation, management,
    and use of these precious natural resources for the benefit of the
    American people.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of
    October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA