AJR56: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-3384/1

CMH:klm

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 56

May 27, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Snyder, Krug, Mursau, Milroy, Dittrich, VanderMeer, Snodgrass, Moses, Drake, B. Meyers, Edming, Spiros, Steffen, James, Callahan, Tranel, Shankland, Tauchen, Swearingen, Tusler, Murphy, Spreitzer and Subeck, cosponsored by Senators Felzkowski, Wimberger, Testin, Jacque, Roth, Cowles, Ballweg, Feyen, Marklein, Bewley and L. Taylor. Referred to Committee on Rules.

AJR56,1,2 Relating to: proclaiming May 2021 as “Paper and Forestry Products Month” in Wisconsin.

AJR56,1,6 Whereas, trees and Wisconsin's sustainable well-managed forests, both private and public, are the backbone supporting Wisconsin's valued way of life and are the basis for the social, economic, and ecological well-being of Wisconsinites and the forest products industry; and

AJR56,1,11 Whereas, Wisconsin's lumber and wood products industry predates the state, and 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, with Wisconsin leading the nation in paper manufacturing for more than 60 years; and

AJR56,1,15 Whereas, the logging and pulp and papermaking industries significantly contribute to Wisconsin's economic health and well-being by employing more than 35,000 women and men in family-supporting jobs whose annual income exceeds $2.9 billion; and

AJR56,2,3 Whereas, the pulp and paper industry and other forest products industries contribute an estimated direct tax contribution of $248.33 million in state and local taxes, with a total tax contribution of $1.2 billion; and

AJR56,2,5 Whereas, Wisconsin produces a greater diversity of paper and wood products than any other state in the Union; and

AJR56,2,7 Whereas, as 2021 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as “The International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development”; and

AJR56,2,11 Whereas, approximately two-thirds of the nation's freshwater resources originate on forested lands, both public and private, and some 180 million people in over 68,000 communities rely on these forested lands to capture and filter their drinking water; and

AJR56,2,15 Whereas, thanks to sustainable forestry practices, Wisconsin forests are growing one-and-a-half times more timber than is being harvested each year, and there are more trees in forests throughout the United States than there were 100 years ago; and

AJR56,2,17 Whereas, the paper, pulp, forestry, and printing industries are sustainable and environmentally conscious and are a major driver of Wisconsin's economy; and

AJR56,2,22 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; now, therefore, be it

AJR56,2,25 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin Legislature proclaim May 2021 as Paper and Forestry Products Month in Wisconsin and commend this observance to all citizens; and, be it further

AJR56,3,3 Resolved, That the legislature calls upon our citizens to learn more about the important role that the paper, forestry, and printing product sectors play in our economy and the environment; and, be it further

AJR56,3,15 Resolved, That the legislature shows its appreciation and gratitude to our state's public and private partners who help Wisconsin sustain and grow our Paper and Forest products industry: the Council on Forestry, the Wisconsin Paper Discovery Center, the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education at the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum, the Wisconsin Paper Council, Centergy, the American Forestry & Paper Association, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Trees for Tomorrow, Quad/Graphics, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Wood Industry Collaborative, the Wisconsin County Forests Association, Wisconsin Woodland Owners, the National Forest Service, the Federal Sustainable Forestry Committee, and the Lake States Lumber Association.

AJR56,3,16 (End)