It's National Forest Products Week

October 19, 2017

Trees provide more than 5,000 products that people use every day. From toilet paper to toothpaste to tires, tree-based chemicals and other wood by-products are all around us. Read more here. It is National Forest Products Week, a time to recognize the many products and benefits that come from forests. When trees are harvested to make the products that we need every day, forests are renewed through reforestation and a new forest cycle begins. Rules of the Idaho Forest Practices Act - which the Idaho Department of Lands administers - requires reforestation by planting new trees or allowing for natural regeneration after timber harvest. Idaho law requires every harvested acre must be successfully reforested within five years of harvest with a minimum number of seedlings growing per acre. Close to 3 million tree seedlings were planted on state endowment trust lands last year. People have depended on trees since the beginning of time to improve our lives. Through reforestation, forests will continue to benefit people, wildlife, watersheds, and ecosystems for years to come.