AJR23: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-2086/1

CMH:wlj

2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 23

March 24, 2017 - Introduced by Representatives Krug, E. Brooks, Edming, Hutton, Jacque, Kulp, Meyers, Milroy, Macco, Murphy, Mursau, Ripp, Rohrkaste, Sinicki, Skowronski, Spiros, Steffen, Thiesfeldt, Tittl, Tusler and VanderMeer, cosponsored by Senators Testin, Tiffany, Bewley, Cowles, Lasee, Petrowski and L. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR23,1,1 Relating to: proclaiming April 2017 as Forestry and Paper Products Month.

AJR23,1,5 Whereas, Wisconsin has nearly 17 million acres of public and private forests, managed by the forest products industry, nonindustrial 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

AJR23,1,10 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 54,000 women and men in family-supporting jobs whose annual income exceeds $3.3 billion; and

AJR23,1,12 Whereas, the forest products industry contributes an estimated $238 million in state and local taxes; and

AJR23,2,2 Whereas, Wisconsin's forest products industry accounts for 13.2 percent of manufacturing jobs, is the number one employer in 23 counties, and every 10 forest industry jobs support an additional 23 jobs in other sectors of the state's economy; and

AJR23,2,6 Whereas, the products of Wisconsin's pulp, paper, lumber, and wood manufacturing industries shipments are worth more than $18.3 billion annually, including more than $14.3 billion in pulp and paper products and more than $4 billion in lumber and wood products; and

AJR23,2,10 Whereas, Wisconsin's papermakers employ more than 30,000 men and women, earning more than $2.4 billion in family-supporting salaries; Wisconsin's 19,269 lumber and wood products employees earn more than $862 million; and the state's 4,644 forestry and logging workers earn more than $38 million; and

AJR23,2,14 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

AJR23,2,17 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

AJR23,2,20 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

AJR23,3,2 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

AJR23,3,7 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

AJR23,3,10 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

AJR23,3,13 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

AJR23,3,18 Whereas, 7.2 million forested acres—including county, state, tribal, private nonindustrial, 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

AJR23,3,21 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature proclaim April 2017 as Forestry and Paper Products Month in Wisconsin and commend this observance to all citizens; and, be it further

AJR23,3,24 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

AJR23,4,5 Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to the Council on Forestry, the Wisconsin Paper Discovery Center, the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education at the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, the Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum, and the Wisconsin County Forestry Association.

AJR23,4,6 (End)