It’s that time of year again, when we observe National Forest Products Week during the third week of October.
National Forest Products Week began in 1960 with Congress proclaiming “our country and its people have always found constant strength, individual peace, and personal pride in the bounty of forest and timberland; and from the beginning of our Nation’s founding, the forest and its products have provided a core of living and freedom touching and inspiring each citizen with majestic beauty and practical use.”
This year, I ask for your help in supporting the Timber Innovation Act. As many of you know, advances in manufacturing, technology, engineering, and safety have made it possible to build taller wood buildings. Advancing the construction of tall wood buildings will help reduce the costs and increase the economic benefits of building construction. And wood building construction directly supports jobs in areas of rural America that have yet to recover from the recession.
Over 100 groups, including builders, architects, forest land owners, wood products manufacturers, environmental groups, state forestry associations, and labor unions support the Timber Innovation Act.
Please consider supporting the bill by either:
Additionally, AWC invites readers to join in the general celebration of wood and other forest products during National Forest Products Week.
- Economic Impact: You can find the economic impact the wood products industry has on your state on AWC’s website. Use this information to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or when you speak to legislators about the importance of the industry: http://awc.org/publicpolicy/statefactsheets
- Social Media: Join AWC in using #ForestProductsWeek on Twitter from Sunday, Oct. 15 to Saturday, Oct. 21.
AWC appreciates the opportunity presented by National Forest Products Week to celebrate our industry and the innovation in construction taking place around the world.