Approximately 90 American workers employed in the U.S. forest products industry descended on Washington, D.C., this week and made more than 550 visits with Members of Congress and administrative officials.
Their goal: to educate elected officials on the impacts of legislative and regulatory decisions on the environment and on the families and communities that depend on forest products manufacturing for their livelihood.
The group of workers from the Pulp & Paperworkers' Resource Council (PPRC), a grassroots organization of hourly employees in the forest products industry, are passionate about educating Members of Congress and administrative officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Management and Budget, and other government agencies on issues affecting American manufacturing jobs in their industry. They represented 57 mills across 22 states.
"Our annual Washington, DC, fly-in provides the PPRC with a wonderful opportunity to visit with Congressional and Administration leaders on environmental issues impacting our industry -- especially on topics like renewable biomass energy and its carbon neutrality, paper recycling, air permitting, and forest management," said PPRC Chairman David Wise. "The importance of clear, common-sense legislation and regulatory policy cannot be understated, as that foundation is vital to supporting continued growth of manufacturing jobs in rural and urban communities and ensuring a competitive playing field for the American forest products industry in the global market."