Proclamation 6842

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

America's forests are a priceless inheritance-one of our country's greatest treasures. From National Forests to State and local parks, from industrial timberlands to privately-owned lots, wooded areas offer us numerous gifts and promise future generations continued benefits. During National Forest Products Week, we renew our commitment to care for our woodlands and to preserve their capacity to sustain themselves.

Providing nutrients and habitat to countless species-including those threatened or endangered-our Nation's forests extend their bounty to mankind as well. Many Americans depend on timberlands for their livelihood; countless people enjoy camping, hiking, and picnicking; and others seek out the woods to find peace and spiritual renewal. In addition, these rich tracts of land produce raw materials for building and other uses and are an essential source of food and medicines derived from trees, shrubs, forbs, fungi, and micro-organisms.

The current state of our forests requires our government, citizens, and the forestry industry to examine past and current forest management practices and to develop new strategies. We are moving toward a new era in stewardship with increased emphasis on forests that are diverse, robust, productive, and sustainable. Understanding that our wooded regions are part of a global mosaic of ecosystems, we must continue to promote public and private environmental responsibility and ensure that our conservation efforts set standards for the world to follow.

In recognition of the central importance of our forests to the welfare of our Nation, the Congress, by Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 163), 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, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 15 through October 21, 1995, as National Forest Products Week. I call upon the people of the United States to honor the vital role America's forests play in our national life and to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:37 a.m., October 17, 1995]