Excerpt from the Presidential proclamation:

America's forests have long played an integral role in shaping and developing our Nation. They help us access clean water and air, drive discovery as natural laboratories, and make our communities more beautiful and vibrant places to live. From renewable energy and biofuels to green building materials, forests also provide a wide variety of products that make up an important part of our economy. During National Forest Products Week, we celebrate the value of our woodlands and recommit to careful stewardship and preservation of these national treasures.

Through the America's Great Outdoors Initiative, my Administration continues to advance a 21st century conservation agenda and ensure we use our precious natural resources sustainably. Meeting the test of environmental stewardship often means finding the best ideas at the grassroots level, and this initiative is guided by the insights of Americans from across our country. From hunters and fishers to tribal leaders and young people, we all have a stake in safeguarding the woodlands we cherish. As we build the foundation for a smarter, more community-driven environmental strategy, we embrace the uniquely American idea that each of us has an equal share in the land around us and an equal responsibility to protect it.

Please click here to view the complete proclamation.

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  Caption:Forest Products character "Woody" combines his message of the value of the forests with the importance of preventing forest fires in the comic book "A Visit to the Forest...with Woody.

A Century of Innovation

A look at FPL's significant contributions to the conservation of forest resources, enhanced forest management, and the economy of the Nation since 1910... view»

Centennial Book

"Forest Products Laboratory 1910-2010, Celebrating A Century of Accomplishments" compiled by John Koning . The 9" by 12", hard cover, coffee table book is 532 pages, with more than 500 colored photos, 300 + black & white photos, and descriptions of FPL research accomplishments. It also contains a list of most of the people who have worked at the FPL over its 100-year history.... Founded in 1910, the Forest Products Laboratory was created as an interdisciplinary research facility to solve difficult problems important to sustainable forest management and to a diverse wood products industry. The laboratory-a federal facility located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus-conducts cutting-edge research that has transformed old industries and created new ones, including lumber production, corrugated containers, recycled paper, production of alcohol from wood, commercial cultivation of shiitake mushrooms, and hundreds of other businesses. This book illustrates what can be accomplished when the American public supports a federal laboratory that works in cooperation with universities, industries, and associations. It includes: Concise summaries of 65 significant achievements of the Forest Products Laboratory, with citations to the original research reports A comparison of wood utilization in 1910 and in 2010 Examples of the financial impact of the wood products industry on job creation and on the American economy Color photographs throughout illustrating research initiatives and products, forest ecosystems, and the FPL facilities over the course of a century o three reprinted reports that provide in detail the history and impact of selected examples of FPL research If you are interested in purchasing a book, you may order : On-line via the Univerity of Wisconsin Press web site Call the Wisconsin Press, Chicago Distribution Center, toll free, 1-800-621-2736. [It should be noted that any sales revenues, after costs are covered, will go to the Forest Products Laboratory Employees' Association (FPLEA), and the University of Wisconsin-Madison]. If you are a retiree or family member, please contact the secretary of FPLEA, Pamela Byrd, 608-231-9352, or e-mail her at: pambyrd@fs.fed.us.