National Forest Products Week, 2010

Proclamation 8587 of October 15, 2010

National Forest Products Week, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since the first communities and settlements in our
Nation, forests and their products have played a vital
role in our growth and economic development. Forests
have also enhanced the splendor of our surroundings,
served as wildlife habitats, provided places for
recreational activities, and offered serene settings
for contemplation. As we mark the 50th anniversary of
National Forest Products Week, we recognize the
enduring value of forests as sustainable, renewable,
and bountiful resources, and we recommit to our
stewardship and efforts to further their conservation.

Our Nation's forests provide us with clean water and
air, wood, wildlife, recreation, and beauty. Forest
products can be seen in myriad places in our daily
lives, from the houses we live in to the paper we write
on. National Forest Products Week draws attention to
these invaluable resources, and to the importance of
ensuring our forests remain flourishing ecosystems that
will provide indispensable benefits for current and
future generations. Every forested acre represents an
opportunity to reduce the effects of climate change; to
protect habitats and communities; to explore nature; to
provide clean air and water; and to produce raw
materials like timber, fiber, and biomass.

Earlier this year, I launched the America's Great
Outdoors Initiative to develop a 21st-century
conservation agenda that will reconnect Americans with
the outdoors and protect our Nation's vast and varied
natural heritage. Senior officials from my
Administration have been traveling across America to
learn about innovative ways that private landowners;
State, local, and tribal governments; conservationists;
and other concerned citizens are coming together to
preserve our natural resources. They have also heard
about the many benefits our forests and their products
provide the Nation.

In this time of economic recovery, we must not forget
the jobs created and supported by forest management and
restoration, as well as the significant contributions
made by the Americans who work in these sectors. They
not only help bring forest products to market, but also
spur innovative ways to move our country forward.
Forests provide renewable and recyclable commodities,
and scientific exploration can find new frontiers of
growth in their application. Through new technologies,
we have made progress in nanotechnology, enhanced
biofuels and biochemicals; expanded our knowledge of
medicinal plants; and examined more sustainable green
building practices. Through careful conservation of our
forests, we can ensure future generations will be able
to both enjoy these national treasures and expand upon
the many uses we have for their products today.

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 17
through October 23, 2010, as

National Forest Products Week. I call on all Americans
to celebrate the varied uses and products of our
forested lands, as well as the people who carry on the
tradition of careful stewardship of these precious
natural resources for generations to come.

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