Page 18 - Georgia Forestry - Winter 2018

Growing Awareness
Forest Advocacy Organizations Take on Tax Reform, Funding and Markets at the Federal Level
Thanks to the long-term investment and dedication of forest landowners and manufacturers, Georgia has been established as a leading supplier of sustainable wood products for domestic and international markets. The “Peach State” should really be referred to as the “Timber
State,” as it leads the nation in the number of privately owned, commercially available forests, annual harvest volume and the export of pulp and paper, wood fuel and wood pellets. In fact, if Georgia were considered a sovereign nation, it would rank seventh in forest-based economies globally.
Georgia has been attributed all this success while growing 48 percent more wood than is harvested each year. Working forests have the capacity to meet increased demands for renewable products; however, to keep the state’s forests productive, elected officials — at every level of government — must continually consider the potential impact that legislative or regulatory actions will have on investment in forestry assets in Georgia and across the nation’s wood basket.
Fortunately, there are several national-level organizations, including the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), American Forest Foundation (AFF), American Wood Council (AWC) and American Forests & Paper Association (AF&PA), that dedicate an incredible amount of time and resources to protecting the interests of the forestry community at the federal level. With the new year underway, it will be important that the forestry community remain engaged with these organizations as they advocate for reasonable tax- reform policies, increased awareness of forestry in the Farm Bill and continued healthy markets for working forests. Here is a quick look at a few forestry issues at the federal level that are worth watching.
Bipartisan Working Forests Caucuses Increase Awareness of Forestry Issues
The Working Forests Caucuses in the House and Senate have pulled together
a bipartisan group of congressmen to promote awareness and healthy discussion around issues important to forest landowners and the forestry community across the nation.
The House Working Forests Caucus
was established in spring 2016, and is co-chaired by Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AK), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Jamie Herrera-Beutler (R-WA) and Collin Peterson (D-MN).
The Senate Caucus was newly established in April 2017 and is co-chaired by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and
Jim Risch (R-ID).
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