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Strongly urging the United States Congress and the United States International Trade Representative to recognize the economic and environmental benefits of Georgia´s magnificent forest resources; strongly urging that the Congress and the United States Trade Representative not rescind the international trade agreement limiting the amount of subsidized Canadian lumber imported duty-free into the United States; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Georgia has a rich natural resource heritage and has been blessed with bountiful forests; and

WHEREAS, these forests cover two-thirds of Georgia and provide many benefits and services; and

WHEREAS, Georgians have relied on their forest resources for hundreds of years to provide shelter, sustenance, forest products, employment, and other economic benefits; and

WHEREAS, Georgia´s forests also significantly contribute to our quality of life by providing clean water, clean air, rich soil, wildlife, and aesthetic and recreational benefits, all of which are irreplaceable; and

WHEREAS, forestry is the largest single economic contributor to Georgia´s thriving economy with over $17 billion in total value added to the economy each year since 1996, and the forest products industry, through its own initiative, is working to sustain and enhance this contribution through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of Georgia businesses including sawmills, other wood processing plants, independent logging contractors, and hundreds of thousands of private Georgia forest landowners have been adversely affected by imports of subsidized Canadian lumber; and
WHEREAS, over 170,000 Georgians are employed in forestry operations; and

WHEREAS, almost 70 percent of Georgia´s timberland base is owned by over 600,000 private property owners; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, Georgia´s timber resources have been able to exert their rightful place in the national and international marketplace with the shutdown of logging on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest; and

WHEREAS, this increase in product value has proven of immense benefit to Georgia´s economy; and

WHEREAS, recent proposals to allow a renewal of the flood of subsidized, price depressing imports from outside the United States is a direct threat to the well-being of thousands of Georgians.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the United States Congress and the United States International Trade Representative not to rescind the international trade agreement limiting the amount of subsidized Canadian lumber imported into the United States duty-free.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the United States Congress, the United States International Trade Representative, the Georgia Forestry Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Southeastern Wood Producers Association, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, the Campaign For A Prosperous Georgia, and the capitol press corps.