The Senate today (September 17) unanimously adopted a Resolution introduced by Senator Scott Hutchinson that will protect and promote the state’s forest areas and the thousands of family-sustaining jobs provided by the wood harvesting industry.
Senate Resolution 55 would reinstate the Forestry Task Force under the administration of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee.
“The task force will be a bicameral and bipartisan committee that will investigate and look to improve the current state of Pennsylvania’s forests and provide long-term forest management strategies,” Senator Hutchinson said. “The task force will consider topics such as invasive species, local government interaction, reinvigorating the timber harvesting industry, and developing a state forest management plan.”
Senator Hutchinson has been an active proponent of the timbering industry, as recognized by his reappointment by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati to serve on the Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council earlier this year. The council is responsible for the development, expansion and promotion of the hardwoods industry in Pennsylvania. As the number one state in the nation for hardwoods production, the council plays an important role in promoting Pennsylvania’s forests and wood products both domestically and abroad.
“Pennsylvania has more than 17 million acres of hardwood forest and 25,000 miles of streams, making up almost 60 percent of the Commonwealth,” Senator Hutchinson said. “The forests of Pennsylvania are also home to a multi-billion dollar forest-product industry that employs more than 60,000 people. A resource that provides so much to the state and its citizens must be protected.”
Contact: Justin Leventry (717) 787-9684