BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, each year since 1960, the third week in October has been proclaimed National Forest Products Week. It is a week in which we celebrate all of the ways that paper and wood products enhance our daily lives.
This industry is particularly important to the economic success of North Carolina, where nearly 60 percent of the total land area is forest and more than 18 million acres are dedicated to growing timber.
With nearly 250 manufacturing facilities, the State's forest products industry employs more than 40,000 men and women at a payroll of approximately $2 billion per year. The value of the products produced in and shipped from North Carolina is more than $10 billion.
America's forests keep our air and water clean while providing renewable energy, wildlife habitat, and recreation. They are also an economic generator, especially in the Nation's rural communities, delivering the paper and manufactured products we rely on every day.
We are grateful for this industry in North Carolina.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT