WASHINGTON DC,
June 23, 2011
(Press Release) -
Forest products industry leaders from across the country are visiting Members of Congress today to represent the priorities of the more than one million workers in their industry - protecting jobs from unaffordable regulations like EPA's Boiler MACT rule, and keeping American business competitive globally. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the American Wood Council (AWC) are co-hosting the fly-in.
"As one of the top manufacturing sectors in the American economy, it's important for our companies to have a direct dialogue with Members of Congress about how federal regulations and legislation impact our ability to compete globally," said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. "In addition to the issues directed at us, we will take this opportunity to apprise our elected representatives of the proactive steps our industry is taking, such as our new sustainability initiative, titled Better Practices, Better Planet 2020: industry-wide goals announced earlier this year which capture the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability."
The CEOs and senior executives from 40 companies representing AF&PA and AWC will participate in over 70 meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. Their priority issues will include the need to ensure the proper time and parameters for EPA to construct an affordable and achievable Boiler MACT rule, and issues of competitiveness from trade and transportation, to building energy codes and green building policies.
"Our members look forward to representing the issues before our industry, and highlighting the positive contributions we make to the lives of everyday Americans," said AWC President Robert Glowinski. "The wood products industry continues to be a vital part of achieving the American dream of homeownership, and the companies that make those products deserve equal opportunity in policies concerning building products. We look forward to speaking with our representatives on the issues concerning the more than 300,000 men and women of the wood products industry."
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The American Forest & Paper Association is the national trade association of the forest products industry, representing pulp, paper, packaging and wood products manufacturers, and forest landowners. Our companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources that sustain the environment. The forest products industry accounts for approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. Industry companies produce about $175 billion in products annually and employ nearly 900,000 men and women, exceeding employment levels in the automotive, chemicals and plastics industries. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 47 states.
The American Wood Council (AWC) is the voice of North American traditional and engineered wood products, representing over 60% of the industry. From a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon, the wood products industry makes products that are essential to everyday life and employs over one-third of a million men and women in well-paying jobs. AWC's engineers, technologists, scientists, and building code experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards on structural wood products for use by design professionals, building officials, and wood products manufacturers to assure the safe and efficient design and use of wood structural components. AWC also provides technical, legal, and economic information on wood design, green building, and manufacturing environmental regulations advocating for balanced government policies that sustain the wood products industry.
