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Gov. Inslee proclaims Washington Forest Products Industry Week

Gov. Jay Inslee has proclaimed Oct. 16-22 as Washington Forest Products Industry Week, honoring the state’s third largest manufacturing sector, which supports 42,000 direct jobs and another 64,000 forestry-related jobs.

The week honoring the Washington forestry industry coincides with National Forest Products Week, which is always the third week in October.

The proclamation from Inslee urges all Washington residents to “recognize the importance of products from our forests, and the intrinsic value of our forested land to the people of the state of Washington and to our heritage.”

Washington’s forests are an essential part of the state’s history, culture, economy and environment, covering 23 million acres across Washington and supporting $5.2 billion in wages.

“Forest products play a critical role in combating climate change due to the natural process of photosynthesis where trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, release oxygen into the atmosphere and capture carbon, which is stored in wood products for the life of the product,” Inslee’s proclamation reads.

“Products from the forest are renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and sustainable, an essential part of our green economy, when harvested from responsibly managed forests.”