National Forest Products Week

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Forest Products Week and in support of our Nation's foresters, our timber producers, our researchers, and the forest products industry as a whole.

Pennsylvania, of course, derives its name from ``Penn's Woods,'' and as history shows us, our forests have played a central role in the building of this country. Today, the Commonwealth has 16.7 million acres of forest land, 70 percent of which is privately owned and managed. The forest products industry in Pennsylvania employs 10 percent of our State's workforce; and according to the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association, it generates approximately $5.5 billion annually.

While Pennsylvania is well known for its high-quality hardwoods, the forest products industry also plays a fundamental role in actively managing our forests. Active management is essential in order to foster healthy lands as well as economically healthy communities.

As chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, I am proud to join several of my colleagues in the House to recognize National Forest Products Week; and as the Representative of Pennsylvania's Fifth District, I will continue to advocate for policies which maintain our forests so that they can power our economy and create family-sustaining jobs for decades to come.

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