Recognizing the importance and sustainability of the United States hardwoods industry and urging that United States hardwoods and the products derived from United States hardwoods be given full consideration in any program directed at constructing environmentally preferable commercial, public, or private buildings.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be a co-sponsor of House Resolution 81 and see this important measure brought to the floor for a vote. I represent Mississippi's First Congressional District--a district strong in forestry and farmland. This industry is dominated by small-based family owned businesses, like my longtime friend Jimmy Pharr's in Marietta, MS, which will benefit from the passage of this resolution. These small landowner/businesses often have fewer than fifty acres much of which may at one time have been crop or cattle farms. Many landowners have rededicated these lands solely to the production of timber. These timber stands are valuable, long-term investments which expand to job opportunities in a myriad of related businesses--sawmills, logging, trucking, insurance, and many others.

Hardwood lumber growers and manufacturers in Mississippi's First District are valuable members of the communities in which they live, and (like many others in Mississippi) have children and grandchildren who hope to stay in these businesses and continue to enjoy all that life offers closer to home. Hardwood timber stands are a critical part of savings and investment for many of my first district families. Without strong markets for lumber, those investments plummet. H. Res. 81 will help assure stronger markets without government intrusion. Instead we are offering a strong statement from the House that this private enterprise industry is one which should continue to reap the rewards of decades good business decisions and stewardship of the land.

The benefits of Mississippi hardwoods are much the same as the benefits enjoyed in nearly every state of the union--from the sheer beauty these forests offer to the hundreds of good jobs tied to them. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes on this important measure.

Mr. President, I am submitting a resolution today recognizing that hardwood trees are an abundant and sustainable resource in the United States, and that the products derived from hardwood trees should be given full consideration in programs promoting the construction of environmentally friendly buildings, including commercial, public or private buildings. This resolution will hopefully demonstrate Congress's support for the hardwood industry and that these hardwood materials, a USA product, are sustainable building materials. I invite and encourage all of my colleagues to cosponsor this bipartisan resolution.

The Nation's forests are a bountiful resource. Not only do they provide forest products and related jobs, but they also are prized for their scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and maintaining clean air and water.

Today, about one-third of the Nation's landscape is forested. The majority of this forestland, about 57 percent, is privately owned. In my home State of Georgia, 24 million acres, about 67 percent of the land, is covered by forests. These forests have a direct economic impact of nearly $13 billion per year. About one-third of Georgia's forests are hardwoods, which supports the nearly 300 hardwood facilities in the State. Most of these are small, family owned businesses, just as they are in the rest of the country. Unfortunately, in Georgia and the rest of the country, this industry has been in decline for more than a decade as paper and wood mills have closed and 158,000 jobs, many in rural areas, have been lost.

I hope that with this resolution my colleagues and the Nation remember the numerous benefits of forests and hardwoods. They are a sustainable and renewable resource and should be recognized for the environmental benefits they provide.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1002, the Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2009. I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work and their support.

This bill would simply extend the current boundary of the Forest Service to include 213 acres of land that is already owned and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, as well as 88 acres currently owned by a regional nonprofit land trust.

This bill has bipartisan support from the entire North Carolina delegation, for which I am very grateful.

This bill will help the Federal Government meet several objectives. First, it will clarify the boundary that identifies parcels of land that are already owned by the Forest Service. Secondly, it will help to guarantee the conservation of pristine acreage that promotes water quality as well as tourism in the region of western North Carolina. Third, it will help thousands of visitors each year access Catawba Falls, a uniquely beautiful cascade that is already on Forest Service property.

H.R. 1002 explicitly protects the rights of private property owners. This bill will preserve the natural treasures and make sure that the public has adequate access to publicly owned land. In addition to being cosponsored by the entire North Carolina delegation, this bill has received unanimous and bipartisan support in the House Committee on Agriculture.

I am grateful to all of my colleagues for their support, as well as to the staff of the Committee on Agriculture for all of their hard work.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of recognizing the importance of sustaining the United States hardwoods industry.

As an Eagle Scout growing up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I developed a deep respect for our country's great natural resources. Today we will recognize that our hardwood industry also plays a crucial role in sustaining not just the local economies of our Nation but many of the counties in central and Southside, Virginia. Across the Commonwealth of Virginia, over 180,000 jobs are provided in the forest products industry, a number that must be maintained during these tough economic times.

The impact of hardwood as an industry in Southside, Virginia, includes businesses like Columbia Forest Products, which produces a formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood, and also Swedwood, the first Ikea manufacturing plant in the United States. I am committed to continuing my work to put Southside, Virginia, at the forefront of advanced wood products manufacturing. This includes the Danville Community College's Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Wood Products Technology and ensuring that forestry is given its due consideration in carbon offsets and efforts for this country's energy independence. Products from our forestry industry provide innovative ways to continue on the path to energy independence while maintaining American jobs.

I thank Mr. Ellsworth and other colleagues and other allies for their support of the hardwood industry.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 81) recognizing the importance and sustainability of the United States hardwoods industry and urging that United States hardwoods and the products derived from United States hardwoods be given full consideration in any program directed at constructing environmentally preferable commercial, public, or private buildings.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 81 recognizes the importance of the U.S. hardwoods industry and recognizes the value of sustainable, abundant hardwoods as an important building material.

In the United States hardwood trees are grown primarily by small- family forest landowners who use long-term sustainable practices to grow and manage their trees.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution recognizing the important role of hardwood producers in the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Ellsworth).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Childers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Perriello).

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1002) to adjust the boundaries of Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1002 was introduced by Congressman Heath Shuler of North Carolina. This bill would authorize the Forest Service to purchase privately held land and modify the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina. This will improve access to Catawba Falls, a prime recreational and tourist site in the region. The Forest Service has already purchased adjacent land for preservation, and this purchase would allow for parking and trailhead expansion in the falls area. A fiscal year 2010 appropriations request was made for the funds needed to purchase this land, and the money was included in the Interior appropriations bill that passed the House on July 7.

H.R. 1002 has the bipartisan support of the entire North Carolina congressional delegation, as well as the support of the U.S. Forest Service, and I support its passage today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the legislation from North Carolina, Mr. Shuler.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution offered by the gentleman from Indiana. The hardwood industry is an important industry for many rural communities across the country, employing more than 500,000 people in all 50 States. The products of this industry are a part of our daily lives. Indeed, we can see the products of their labor in this very Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution calls for any future green building programs to give full consideration to the inclusion of hardwood material. This is a commonsense idea to allow the clean, renewable resources to be included in any program that promotes environmentally friendly construction of public and private buildings.

The hardwood industry is of vital economic importance to hundreds of thousands of families across rural America, and I believe it's important to show these families that we appreciate the work they do and the responsible manner in which they cultivate their natural resources.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 1002. This bill expands the boundary of the National Forest in North Carolina. The expanded boundary will make it possible for the Forest Service to purchase a privately owned parcel of land for the purpose of creating a parking area and trail access. As my colleague has noted, the Forest Service supports this bill and funding is included in the fiscal year 2010 Interior appropriations bill to purchase the land. The bill passed out of committee unanimously. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, having no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.