National Forest Products Week, 2016

Proclamation 9524 of October 14, 2016

National Forest Products Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Filtering the air we breathe and the water we drink,
and providing the habitats that are home to diverse
species of fish and wildlife, forests are an essential
part of our planet. Across America, they offer a wide
range of cultural and recreational activities that have
sustained and entertained people since long before our
Nation's founding. Today, forests provide products we
use each day, including paper, wood, and building and
packaging materials. During National Forest Products
Week, we express our appreciation for the incredible
bounty forests provide and we renew our commitment to
ensuring the next generation can enjoy their
irreplaceable resources.

Our forests are at increasing risk from catastrophic
wildfires, erosion, drought, and climate change. That
is why my Administration is working alongside State and
local leaders, landowners, and businesses to develop
solutions to preserve our forests--because we must
respond to challenges that threaten these important
spaces. America's forests play an important role in
addressing climate change by absorbing carbon
pollution. It is critical that we protect and restore
our forests, and through the Climate Action Plan,
Federal agencies are coming together to strengthen the
resilience of our forests and enhance their ability to
absorb even more carbon pollution.

The health and well-being of our forests and our
communities go hand in hand. With the Department of
Agriculture, we are working to strengthen markets for
forest products. By allocating millions of dollars to
help expand technologies that encourage the use of wood
in innovative ways, we are also striving to improve
forest health and generate rural jobs. And we are
exploring ways to help forestland owners respond to
climate change--earlier this year, we released a
roadmap for implementing key building blocks to achieve
this goal, such as private forest growth and retention,
stewardship of Federal forests, and promotion of wood
products.

Forests generate billions of dollars in economic
growth, sustaining local economies and enhancing
communities across our country. We rely on them in so
many aspects of our national life, and throughout this
week, we must continue working to protect the precious
resources our forests hold so they can continue
enriching our world and supporting our way of life.

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 16
through October 22, 2016, 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
fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-first.