“It’s an opportune time to talk about trees.  I have a fir tree in my home right now – and sizewise in the house -- it is our single-biggest symbol of Christmas.  It’s also a reminder of the importance of trees and forests in Missouri – where we have plenty.

There are an impressive 14.5 million acres of forest land in Missouri.  Private, non-industrial owners hold about 85 percent of Missouri’s forest acreage.  State-owned forest accounts for three percent, and federal forestry holdings account for about 12 percent, including one of our region’s crown jewels – the Mark Twain National Forest. 

Some of these acres, like those in the Mark Twain, are parks and preserves and wilderness areas.  They are a pristine reminder of the beauty of nature in our nation and our state.  In springtime, the trees bud and leaf out, in summer they shade us from the hot Missouri sun, in autumn they put on a spectacular show, and in wintertime they stand silently waiting for the cycle to begin anew.

These trees, though they are never cut, bring dollars to our region.  Our foliage, whether it is enjoyed from an overlook in the Mark Twain or from the terrace of one of our orchards and wineries, is stunning.  Visitors come from miles around to see something they cannot ever view in the city: gorgeous vistas of miles of endless fall colors.

Some of these acres are owned by private entities in the forestry business.  These forests are a sustainable economic engine, contributing $5 billion in economic activity through the forest products industry.  From paper to hardwood flooring to furniture to timber to nuts, Southern Missouri is home to businesses which use value-added forestry products to bring jobs and revenues into our communities.

Most recently, our always-flexible forests have become an energy resource.  Small-diameter timber is a highly efficient source material for ethanol which can also be quickly replenished by planting seedlings.  By using small-diameter timber products as a cellulosic source of ethanol, America can continue to strive towards our goal of using more domestic resources for fuel.  Instead of looking to the Middle East for our fuels, we can also look to our forests.

We should also look to the men and women who work in the industries that maintain, preserve, grow and cut our timber.  All told, the Missouri forest product industry employs 34,600 individuals and pays $700 million in wages each year.  Logging remains one of the most dangerous occupations in the nation. 

Our forests also have the power to put raw materials in the hands of ingenious entrepreneurs.  As long as we have a wealth of natural resources and a skilled, inventive economic community always on the lookout for new opportunities, our forests will be good to us.

Finally, our forests have the power to remind us, at times of the year like this, about the preciousness of the resources with which we have been entrusted.  We must never use our federal forests to mortgage the future of this great gift to our part of Missouri.  Left alone, our forests are a renewing resource, but as we use them to advance our productive economy we must also be responsible stewards.

Our forests are a unique natural resource not many congressional districts in the nation can boast.  Some of our trees are so special, in fact, that they are welcomed indoors for one of the coldest months of the year.”