National Forest Products Week, 2012

Proclamation 8892 of October 19, 2012

National Forest Products Week, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since our Nation's founding, America's forests have
played an essential role in powering our progress.
These rich spaces have provided clean air and water for
our communities, building materials for our homes,
reliable growth for our economy, and vibrant
environments for us to explore. During National Forest
Products Week, we celebrate sustainable uses of the
lands we share and recommit to protecting them for
generations to come.

Our forests are an essential part of an economy built
to last. Woodlands encourage tourism and recreation
that create jobs and growth in our rural communities.
They provide the raw materials for products we use
every day, and they help produce clean, renewable
bioenergy that puts us on the path toward a secure
energy future. Meeting the economic, environmental, and
energy challenges we face will require active forest
management that promotes conservation and encourages
landowners to keep their lands forested. Through my
Administration's work to increase timber production and
forest restoration, as well as efforts like the
America's Great Outdoors Initiative, we continue to
engage partners in government, the private sector, and
communities nationwide in implementing a robust
strategy to protect our forests and boost job creation.

America's expansive landscapes have contributed
immensely to making our Nation what it is today, and
they remain vital to our progress in the years ahead.
This week, let us rededicate ourselves to managing our
forests responsibly, encouraging sustainable forest
use, and passing on a safer, healthier environment for
the next generation.

To recognize the importance of products from our
forests, the Congress, by Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C.
123), as amended, 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, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 21
through October 27, 2012, as National Forest Products
Week. I call on the people of the United States to join
me in recognizing the dedicated individuals who are
responsible for the stewardship of our forests and for
the preservation, management, and use of these precious
natural resources for the benefit of the American
people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.