CONTACT: Chuck Fuqua / Jessica McFaul
(202) 463-2436
comm@afandpa.org
WASHINGTON – American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman today issued the following statement regarding the House Agriculture Committee’s passage of the 2013 Farm Bill.
“We commend Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Colin Peterson for their leadership in providing an exhaustive review of the 2013 Farm Bill. We appreciate their recognition of the importance of the conservation programs for forestry and wood fiber supply for the nation’s manufacturers of pulp, paper, and wood products.
“AF&PA especially appreciates the work of Reps. Thompson and Schrader for their leadership on the important issue of including all forest products in USDA’s BioPreferred Program. The department has arbitrarily excluded some of the most biobased products on the market from participation in its labeling and federal procurement initiatives, and this bi-partisan legislation would allow our products to be recognized for their inherent biobased qualities.
“We are also pleased to see the Forest Service directive to update the strategic plan for the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, including integration of remote sensing and spatial analysis.
“We hope that as the full House considers the energy title of the Farm Bill, they will follow the lead of the Agriculture Committee in preventing the potential unintended consequences of government incentives and mandates. AF&PA believes that the free market should determine the highest and best use of biomass.”
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The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry’s sustainability initiative - Better Practices, Better Planet 2020. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 4.5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures approximately $200 billion in products annually, and employs nearly 900,000 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 47 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ForestandPaper.