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Commending U.S. Green Building Council for Encouraging Wood Use in Building Construction

Floor Speech

Date: April 19, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Natural Resources

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which I am proud to represent, has a deep heritage with wood products and timber industries. Wood is the ultimate green building material and should be encouraged for its environmental benefits.

Unfortunately, USDA's Bio-Preferred Program did not recognize wood products, despite the obvious benefits of using such material in buildings. Because of this, I authored the Forest Products Fairness Act of 2013. This legislation, which was ultimately included in the 2014 farm bill, modified USDA's definition of bio-based products to specifically include forest products.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the U.S. Green Building Council in taking the next step with the recent changes to their Leadership in Energy Environmental Design, or LEED, green building rating system.

This change will encourage more use of domestic wood in building construction. The change includes lumber companies certified by the American Tree Farm System and landowners certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Forest Stewardship Council.

This decision by the U.S. Green Building Council is another step in the right direction and will provide a boost to many across Pennsylvania involved in the industries that rely on our significant timber resources.

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