FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2023
Contact: Jim Britt

Maine Forest Products Week Celebrates the Vital Contributions of Maine's Forest Sector

AUGUSTA ? In honor of Maine Forest Products Week, held from October 23 to 28, 2023, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), with Professional Logging Contractors Northeast, and Maine Forest Products Council, have come together to celebrate and express a profound appreciation for the enduring contributions of Maine's forest sector businesses and their dedicated workforce.

"Maine Forest Products Week highlights the invaluable role that our forests play in our lives. Our forests and the renewable resources they provide also play a central and important role in our state?s climate resilience strategy, and we ?are committed to working to shape a sustainable future for all while bolstering our rural economies," -?DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal.

"Maine's vast working forestlands have been the backbone of our economy, boosting our communities and sustaining our way of life for centuries. Today, as we look ahead, we recognize the forests' unlimited potential for our future," -?DECD Commissioner Heather Johnson.

"Maine Forest Products Week offers a meaningful opportunity to acknowledge the resilience and dedication of our forest sector and its workforce. Let us celebrate our mutual commitment to responsible forest management and the enduring legacy of Maine's forest culture," -?DACF Maine Forest Service Director and State Forester Patty Cormier.

"Maine's loggers and forest truckers are the foundation of the state's forest products industry, and as we observe Maine Forest Products Week, this is a great time to recognize their hard work and their importance in keeping Maine's working forests healthy while preserving them for future generations," ? Professional Logging Contractors Northeast Executive Director Dana Doran.

"The Maine Forest Products Council joins Governor Mills in celebrating Maine Forest Products Week. From the timber we build our homes with, and the paper we write on to the very fiber of our clothes, products made from locally harvested, sustainably managed forests are an integral part of our everyday lives. While supporting a heritage industry that provides one out of every 24 jobs, our forests also provide so much more: clean air, clean water, critical wildlife habitat, and climate benefits. Thanks to the men and women who work in our industry and the businesses that continue to invest in our communities with an eye to the future," Maine Forest Products Council Executive Director Pat Strauch.??

For generations, Maine's forests have been the lifeblood of foresters, loggers, mill workers, carpenters, woodworkers, and the many local communities whose livelihoods are connected with the forest products industry. These hardworking individuals embody resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, education, and leadership.

DACF, DECD, and our partners extend deep gratitude to all those who champion the responsible stewardship of our forests and contribute to the promising future of Maine's thriving $2.2 billion forest products industry.

Read Governor Mills' 2023 Maine Forest Products Week Proclamation.

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