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PPRC Position on Forest Health Wood
Products Industry Workers Support Aggressive Forest Health Approach Forest
Health Management Requirements q
Restoration
of tree species best suited for site. q
Prevention
of unhealthy conditions. q
Thinning
to species composition and stand density. q
Consideration
of impacts of insect infestation, root disease, wildfire, and actions
necessary to sustain forest health and long-term productivity. q
Professional
and private foresters need workable management approaches and strategies
to sustain forest ecosystem. q
Encourage
local public involvement in forest health decisions. q
Commercial
thinning is useful for
reducing fuel loads. The
Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council Supports Change and Proposes
that Congress Act q
Commercial
thinning needs to be a top priority when the safety of homeowners and
communities are threatened. q
Direct
the Forest Service to harvest dead and dying timber to reduce
catastrophic losses and re-establish healthy viable forests. q
Protect
timber harvest programs from lengthy delay by appeals and litigation. q
Direct
the Forest Service not to deviate from forest plans without proper
analysis, public involvement, and documentation. q
Pass
legislation to give the needed funding to expand forest health and
timber sales. This combined
with thinning; pest suppression, and fuel load treatment programs are
environmentally and economically responsible. q
The
Forest Service should be run as intended, to provide multiple use and
sustainable forestry to meet America’s wood product needs now and
for future generations. If the Forest Service was operated as a business, it's net assets would make it a top five United States company. Managed as it currently is, the business would be financially bankrupt. The
PPRC is a grassroots organization representing the interests of the
nations pulp, paper, solid wood products, and other natural resource
based workers. The U.S. forest products industry is vitally important to our
nation’s economy, employing 1.5 million people. We rank among the top 10 manufacturers in 46 states with
annual sales exceeding $230 billion, which accounts for 7% of the U.S.
manufacturing shipments. We
are people dedicated to conserving the environment while taking into
account the economic stability of the workforce and surrounding
community.
12-03-00
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