Proclamation 4456—National Forest Products Week, 1976

In the Nation's first century, Americans viewed their forests primarily as a source of survival and economic growth. In our second century, we continue to depend upon our forest resources for fuel, timber and sustenance, but we recognized the limits of our natural resource heritage and initiated action to conserve and manage our forests for future generations.

Fortunately, as we begin our third century, we have developed important tools to balance the needs of a growing population, our desire for an ever-improving standard of living, and concern for environmental quality.

Forestry research continues to make progress in achieving maximum efficient utilization of forest resources. In addition, strong Federal, State, and local forestry programs have been established to foster sound management of publicly owned forest lands and to encourage private forest landowners, through education, technical assistance, and grants, to practice sound forestry management on their lands. This cooperation among Federal, State, and private sectors is essential if we are to continue to provide the forest products our people require.

In order to emphasize America's reliance on forest resources and products, and to recognize their contribution in providing this Nation with consumer products, transportation systems, jobs and capital for economic growth, the Congress, by joint resolution of September 13, 1960 (74 Stat. 898; 36 U.S.C. 163), has designated the seven-day period beginning the third Sunday of October in each year as National Forest Products Week and has requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.

Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon the people of the United States to observe the week beginning Sunday, October 17, 1976, as National Forest Products Week, with activities and ceremonies designed to invite public attention to the forest resources with which we are blessed and from which we have benefited, both materially and spiritually.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first.

GERALD R. FORD