Proclamation 4599—National Forest Products Week, 1978

When we Americans stop to reflect about our wealth of natural resources and the benefits they bestow, we quickly realize the worth of our Nation's forests. One-third of our land, some 740 million acres, is forested, and we get a wide range of essential products from many of these forests. Trees become houses to shelter us, books to convey our thoughts, packaging to protect our food, energy to power our factories or heat our homes.

A forest can be many things at the same time. With sound management, we need never fear running out of trees. A forest is a renewable resource. But for all its powers of regeneration, a forest is not in- vulnerable. If we use it unwisely or wastefully, it can disappear. If we ignore the diverse needs of our people, the forests will cease to preserve the natural watersheds, to provide a home for wildlife or a wilderness where our people can renew their spirits. Many of the earth's problems today are the result of generations of destructive deforestation that has left lands barren and wasted. We must make sure that man's works lie gently on our land, so that we may leave for future generations a richer, more abundant, more beautiful land than we inherited.

Research is helping to show the ways to get as much usable material as possible from each harvested tree, finding better methods for protecting wood products so they last longer and developing ways to recycle used wood into new products. Our scientists are also finding ways to make trees grow faster, and to protect the forest from its natural enemies of fire, insects, and disease.

The Congress has designated the third week of October in each year as National Forest Products Week to remind us of the importance of forests in our national life.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 15 through 21, 1978, as National Forest Products Week and ask all Americans to reflect upon the value of our forests.

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

JIMMY CARTER