Colorado Legislature Designates Official Day to Promote State Forest Products

The Colorado Legislature today passed a joint resolution officially designating April 23 as “Colorado Forest Products Day.” The resolution is intended to generate awareness of the economic and ecological importance of Colorado’s forests.

“This resolution represents a positive step toward educating Colorado’s wood products consumers of the environmental and economic implications of our reliance on imported wood products,” said Tim Reader, utilization and marketing forester for the Colorado State Forest Service.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs (D-Silverthorne) and Rep. Christine Scanlan (D-Dillon), states that more than 90 percent of the wood products used in Colorado come from sources outside the state. The absence of a thriving timber industry in Colorado, combined with unprecedented insect and disease outbreaks in the state’s forests, motivated state officials to encourage Coloradans to support the in-state wood products industry.

“The Colorado State Forest Service applauds the Colorado General Assembly for recognizing the contributions of locally produced forest products to our environment,” said CSFS Forest Management Division Supervisor Joe Duda. “By supporting the Colorado Forest Products Program, we can help maintain the economic vitality of local communities while contributing to the health of Colorado’s forests for present and future generations.”

The CSFS developed the Colorado Forest Products Program in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Agriculture and its Colorado Proud campaign. The program represents member businesses that certify 50 percent or more of the wood used in their products is derived from Colorado forests. In cooperation with federal land management agencies, Reader said these businesses are part of a growing industry in Colorado that provides local jobs and an economic benefit from forests impacted by bark beetles or other insect and disease outbreaks.

For more information about Colorado Forest Products, visit the CSFS Wood Utilization and Marketing Program website at csfs.colostate.edu/cowood.

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