National Forest Products Week, 1997

Proclamation 7042 of October 17, 1997

National Forest Products Week, 1997

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's forests are a precious resource, making
numerous rich contributions not only to the natural
splendor of our Nation, but also to the well-being of
our people. Whether part of the vast acreages that make
up our industrial, State, and National forests or rural
woodlots and urban forests, they offer us clean water
and air, priceless wildlife habitat and fisheries,
welcome settings for recreation, and breathtaking
beauty. Our forests also provide us with more tangible
products essential to everyday living: wood and paper
products for our homes, schools, and offices, and even
medicines and food.

While the wood products we harvest from our forests can
be so durable that they last for centuries, forest
ecosystems themselves are very fragile. America's
growing population and urban expansion are putting
ever-increasing demands on forest lands and resources.
We must work together to devise imaginative forest
management approaches that will allow us to preserve
and cultivate healthy forest ecosystems, meet the need
for forest products, provide jobs for those who depend
on forests for their livelihood, and continue to offer
Americans enjoyable recreational opportunities.

Fortunately, forest research is equipping us with vital
knowledge that can help us to balance the many and
varied demands on our woodlands. Thanks to such
research, we are now using new products and innovative
technologies and employing new recycling methods that
not only extend the available supply of raw materials,
but also help us to process those materials more
efficiently and with fewer harmful by-products. This
use of science to balance the needs of our people both
for forest products and a healthy environment will help
us to achieve our goal of sustainable forest
management.

All of us are indebted to past generations of Americans
whose vision and generosity preserved so many of our
Nation's great forests for our use and pleasure. Now it
falls to us to continue their wise stewardship so that
we may pass on to future generations this priceless
natural legacy.

In recognition of the central role our forests play in
the long-term welfare of our Nation, the Congress, by
Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 163), has designated the
week beginning on the third Sunday in October of each
year as ``National Forest Products Week'' and has
authorized and requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of this week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 19
through October 25, 1997, as National Forest Products
Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week
with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-second.