Virginia marks Forest Products Week Oct. 20-26 and salutes forestry workers

Governor Glenn Youngkin has proclaimed Oct. 20-26 Forest Products Week in Virginia. The proclamation recognizes the countless products that come from our forests, the vital role they play in our lives, and the more than 100,000 people working in Virginia’s forest industry.

“Virginia’s forests are a cornerstone of our Commonwealth’s natural beauty and economic strength,” said Gov. Youngkin. “Our forestry industry is vital to the success of our economy, creating thousands of good-paying jobs for hardworking Virginians. During Forest Products Week, we celebrate the industry and the men and women whose hard work keeps it all thriving. Join us in honoring their contributions and commitment to ensuring these resources are available for future generations.”

“As our third-largest private industry in the Commonwealth, forestry is a huge economic driver, providing the raw materials to create products we may take for granted but use every single day,” said Matthew Lohr, Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry . “Goods and materials such as construction lumber, paper, pallets, cardboard boxes and packaging materials are environmentally friendly options because they are less carbon-intensive to produce, and carbon stored in wood products remains sequestered throughout the lifetime of each product.”

“Sustainable forestry provides so many benefits…clean air and water, economic development, wildlife habitat, timber, and recreation,” said Rob Farrell, State Forester of the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF). “Forest Products Week celebrates Virginia’s working forests, thousands of professionals and partners who work in them, and the environmental benefits and sustainable products they provide for all of us.”

To learn more about Virginia’s forest markets and sustainability, visit DOF’s website: https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-markets-sustainability/