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American Forest Foundation Commends Congressional Leaders on Proposed Fix to Far

American Forest Foundation Commends Congressional Leaders on Proposed Fix to Farm Bill’s Energy Title In an effort to help restore markets for forest products and alleviate some of the financial burden faced by America’s family forest owners, Congressmen Glenn Thompson (PA-5th) and Kurt Schrader (OR-5th) today introduced the Forest Products Fairness Act of 2012. Reps. Thompson and Schrader cosponsored today’s bill to fix an issue in the Farm Bill’s Energy Title to better incorporate U.S. forest products as renewable, biobased products. Thanks to the leadership of Reps. Thompson and Schrader, members of Congress are working to ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) promotes the use of family forest owners’ traditional and new products with a labeling program, and the federal government procures made-in-America forest products—stimulating new markets and helping to mitigate the job losses the industry has suffered. The program at issue requires the federal government to purchase and promote products through a USDA Certified Biobased Product labeling and federal Biopreferred procurement initiative. As currently designed, the program does not include most products made from wood grown in the United States. As a result, companies making products from materials like bamboo, which is likely imported, get better treatment than U.S. forests products. "Forest production and timber harvesting has served as a critically important economic engine to so many communities in the 5th District of Pennsylvania and nationally," said bill cosponsor Representative Thompson. "The Forest Products Fairness Act of 2012 will offer producers stronger, expanded product markets, so that the industry can better compete in the global marketplace. This modification is a win-win for consumers and producers, along with the promotion of healthy, well managed forests, and the protection of communities that rely on these jobs and industries to survive." Representative Schrader is also a bill cosponsor. “Families own 4.2 million acres of forestland in Oregon—helping to clean our water and air, and provide wildlife habitat, and places for recreation. Without strong markets, many of these families will simply be forced to consider other options, including selling their forested land. This bill will help ensure sustainable forest products have a fair chance and keep businesses afloat during hard economic times,” said Representative Schrader. In testimony earlier this month before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry, John Burke, Chairman of the American Forest Foundation’s Board of Trustees and certified Tree Farmer in Caroline County, Virginia, called for Congress to fix this USDA program because it gives preference to overseas and other competitors, while leaving out most forest products from America’s family forest owners. “My situation is an example of the impact of the current program. Some of my hardwood trees grown on my certified Tree Farm are made into wood pallets. The pallet mill I sell to is about six miles from our property. You can’t get more sustainable than that, and yet, my products won’t get the USDA certified biobased label or federal purchasing preference, but a company importing bamboo or hemp from overseas would,” said Burke. “At a time when we are facing a crisis in the forest products industry, Congress should be doing everything it can to improve markets for made-in-America forest products. We are pleased that Chairman Thompson and Representative Schrader along with Senators Pryor and Blunt are leading an effort to fix this issue,” Burke said in his testimony. A “USDA certified” label can be a strong motivator of consumer choice and is intended to assure consumers that a product or package contains a verified amount of renewable biological ingredients. “Getting a biopreferred label on our wood products will definitely increase demand,” said Burke. The federal government purchasing requirement could also drive new demand for products made from family forests. Additionally, states and private sector standards are beginning to use USDA's program as a standard for purchasing. Demand for U.S. wood products is just what the industry needs; markets for forest products are at Depression-era lows. In the last few years, more than 1,000 mills across rural America have been shuttered. Including forest products in the biobased program will create demand for these products, helping to bring back some of the 322,805 jobs lost in the forestry manufacturing sector since 2005. Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), the co-sponsor of the Senate bill (S.2346), noted, “Wood is the original bio-based product” and that Congress needs to allow the forest products industry and its associated “home-grown companies to expand and compete on the same level playing field as their international counterparts.” “Our bill is an equalizer,” Senator Pryor said in a press statement. “Under this program, American forestry producers will have more opportunities to increase consumer demand for environmentally-friendly biobased wood products,” Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) said in a press statement. “The domestic forestry industry is an important economic engine in rural Missouri & nationwide. I’m proud to work with Senator Pryor on bipartisan legislation that bolsters marketing opportunities for these local job creators and helps them compete in an increasingly competitive global economy.” In testimony, Burke also discussed the importance of the Farm Bill’s conservation program and other Farm Bill issues of importance to family forest owners. To read AFF’s Farm Bill recommendations, visit www.forestfoundation.org/farmbill.