2013 Senate Joint Resolution 82
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: proclaiming April 2014 as Forestry and Paper Products Month.
Whereas, Wisconsin has nearly 17 million acres of public and private forests, managed by the forest products industry, non-industrial private landowners, and county, state, and tribal agencies, which provide the essential raw material for the state's forest products and paper industry along with a myriad of benefits; and
Whereas, the forest products industry—composed of the logging, pulp and paper, lumber and wood products, and printing industries—significantly contributes to Wisconsin's economic health and well-being by employing more than 53,000 women and men in family-supporting jobs whose annual income exceeds $3.2 billion; and
Whereas, the forest products industry contributes an estimated $215 million in state and local taxes; and
Whereas, Wisconsin's forest products industry accounts for 13.2 percent of manufacturing jobs, is the number one employer in 23 counties, and for every 10 forest industry jobs supports the existence of an additional 23 in other sectors of the state's economy; and
Whereas, the products of Wisconsin's pulp, paper, lumber, and wood manufacturing industries are worth more than $17.8 billion annually, including more than $14.4 billion in pulp and paper products and more than $3.3 billion in lumber and wood products; and
Whereas, Wisconsin's papermakers employ more than 31,000 men and women, earning more than $2.4 billion in family-supporting salaries; Wisconsin's 18,400 lumber and wood products employees earn more than $732 million; the state's 3,280 forestry and logging workers earn more than $34.6 million; the printing industries of Wisconsin employ more than 28,700 employees earning more than $309.2 million; and
Whereas, papermaking began in 1848, three months before Wisconsin became a state, and paper manufacturing has been a cornerstone of the state's economy for more than 165 years, and in fact Wisconsin has led the nation in paper manufacturing for more than 60 years; and
Whereas, Wisconsin produces a greater diversity of paper products than any other state in the four main categories of packaging, communication (printing and writing), tissue, and specialty grades; and
Whereas, Wisconsin's lumber and wood products industry predates the state, leads the nation in millwork production, and is third nationally in hardwood veneer output; and
Whereas, the industry's products are societal staples that include lumber and wood material for homes as well as other residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and agricultural buildings, plus essentials and amenities including cabinets, furniture and fixtures, windows, pallets and shipping materials, posts and poles, fuel wood, and biomass for energy and other purposes, as well as Christmas trees; and
Whereas, Wisconsin's nearly 17 million acres of forest lands and its millions of urban trees significantly enhance the quality of life in our great state, contribute to water quality, support and enhance soil quality, provide habitat and sustenance for terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna, and offer four-season recreational and aesthetic opportunities to residents and visitors of all ages; and
Whereas, Wisconsin forests are growing one and a half times more timber than is being harvested each year, with saw timber volume increasing by 1.68 billion board-feet annually; and
Whereas, the forest products industry in Wisconsin supports sustainable forestry to maintain woodlands as healthy, complex ecosystems that provide ecological, social, and economic benefits today and for future generations; and
Whereas, 7.2 million forested acres—including county, state, tribal, private non-industrial, and private industrial ownerships—are third-party certified as "sustainably managed" regarding widely accepted forest practices and standards, and most of this forest land (public and private) is open for hunting, hiking, bird-watching, and other recreational activities; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature proclaim April 2014 as Forestry and Paper Products Month in Wisconsin and commend this observance to all citizens; and, be it further
Resolved, That the legislature calls upon our citizens to learn more about the important role the forest products industry plays in our economy and environment; and, be it further
Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to the Council on Forestry, the Wisconsin Paper Discovery Center, the Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum, and the Wisconsin County Forestry Association.
