For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 21, 2004
National Forest Products Week, 2004
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America's forests are places of beauty and incredible natural
wealth. They are homes to wildlife and offer many economic
opportunities for our Nation. During National Forest Products Week, we
recognize the many benefits of our forests and continue our dedication
to protecting them.
Across our country, many communities rely on healthy forests for
economic stability. Our forests provide paper products, building
materials, chemicals, and many other items needed by families and small
businesses across America. Responsible forest management helps provide
jobs and maintain these important resources to help meet the daily
needs of Americans and people around the world.
My Administration has made forest health a high priority, and we
will continue to promote active management and forest conservation.
Under the Healthy Forests Initiative, we acted to remove the causes of
severe wildfires by thinning forest undergrowth before disaster
strikes. And the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, which I
signed into law last December, expands our work, helping protect
valuable lands that serve as habitat for wildlife and ensuring the
safety and economic vitality of communities affected by wildfires. The
Act enforces high standards of conservation to help return our forests
to more natural conditions and maintain the full range of forest
types.
To ensure that our forests remain a source of pride for all
Americans, we must continue our tradition of protecting the land for
future generations. By combining the ethic of good stewardship with
the spirit of innovation, we can advance a healthy environment and
continue economic growth and job creation.
In recognizing the importance of our forests, the Congress, by
Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 123), as amended, has designated the week
beginning on the third Sunday in October of each year as "National
Forest Products Week" and has authorized and requested the President to
issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim October 17 through October 23, 2004, as
National Forest Products Week. I call upon all Americans to observe
this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day
of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-ninth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
# # #
|