Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3021, 21st Century Green High-Performance Public School Facilities Act

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3021, 21ST CENTURY GREEN HIGH-PERFORMANCE PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 09, 2008)

SPEECH OF
HON. VIRGINIA FOXX
OF NORTH CAROLINA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2008

* Ms. FOXX. Madam Chairman, as a member of the Education and Labor Committee I would like to address an issue of concern with H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act. Specifically, I bring to my colleagues' attention the fact that one of our Nation's most sustainable, renewable, and environmentally positive industries may be unfairly disadvantaged in the legislation that came before the House, June 4, 2008. The U.S. hardwood industry, which is prevalent in my own North Carolina district, but also extends 13,959 total facilities throughout the country, may not be adequately recognized by any of the requirements we are putting into law for our Nation's schools. It would be a travesty to have our prized native hardwoods effectively removed from new building projects only to be substituted with materials from foreign sources or less suitable alternative materials, often at higher costs.

* The United States Government is required under Federal law to undertake a nationwide inventory of forest resources. The most recent inventory published in 2007 by the U.S. Forest Service and referred to as the ``RPA Assessment,'' shows that hardwood growth has consistently exceeded harvest for the last 50 years. Between 1953 and 2007, the volume of U.S. hardwood growing stock has more than doubled. This solid growth in America's hardwood resource, coupled with the forest laws in the United States, provide strong evidence of good governance and efficient forest regulations.

* Specifically, I would ask that any green building standard required by H.R. 3021 give adequate consideration to a number of criteria:

* First, forest certification requirements included in green building standards still have very low participation amongst U.S. hardwood family forest owners. The vast majority of American hardwoods are grown in the eastern United States, where around 73 percent of hardwood forest land is privately owned by families whose ownership stretches back several generations. There are approximately 4 million private forest owners in the U.S. with an average parcel of land 50 acres in size which may be harvested only a few times in any generation of owners. When considering green building legislation, I would ask that the record reflect that we recognize the environmental credentials of American hardwoods in addition to any specific green building standards.

* Second, a typical American hardwood mill buys timber from approximately 1,800 forest owners in a single year. Those set of forest owners can differ completely from year to year. The certification requirements that are referenced in H.R. 3021 do not adequately address the challenges hardwood manufacturers face when working with thousands of owners to in effect ``prove'' the origin of the wood. It is understandable that finding certified hardwood is difficult at best. Any green building legislation should not discriminate against this proven renewable and viable resource in the United States on the basis of certification challenges.

* Lastly, any geographical limitations should be broad enough to allow U.S. products manufactured in one vicinity to be used in another part of the country. I am proud of the many Fifth District constituents who make products such as flooring and wood trim for projects throughout the world. Eastern or Midwestern manufacturers should not be prohibited from supplying their West Coast markets, nor vice versa, due to arbitrary geographical limitations put in place by green building requirements. Hardwoods are a natural product and cannot suddenly be produced in the proximity of the target market.

* It is my understanding that efforts are underway to assure that hardwoods are given full consideration in green building standards. As we consider mandating these requirements I urge that full consideration be given to these needed adjustments and that no new school construction project be forced to ignore one of our vital, beautiful, environmentally beneficial, and native material such as hardwoods.

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