By Brian Cole, Wisconsin DNR Forest Product Specialist
Wisconsin’s forests cover nearly half of our state and are a vital part of our collective history, culture and economy. Likewise, the F+orest Products industry provides valuable jobs and contributes significantly to the economy. Forest Products Week offers an opportunity to learn about sustainable forest practices and to develop an appreciation for the valuable resources that Wisconsin forests provide.
Forest Product Week 2026 starts on Sunday, Oct. 18. Tours and special events will be hosted throughout the week at various locations, including logging sites, sawmills, paper manufacturers, secondary and urban wood manufacturers. Please save the date and join us at one of our events.
National Forest Products Week was established in 1960 with a proclamation brought forth from Congress and approved by President Kennedy, Public Law 86-753 (36 U.S.C. 123). The language in the proclamation cited the importance of forest products, dating back to the country’s founding and its ever-demanding growth cycles. A key sample from that first resolution states:
WHEREAS in order to reemphasize to each citizen in the United States the importance and heritage of our vast forest resources which are inseparably tied to our present and our future: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That:
The seven-day period beginning on the third Sunday of October in each year is hereby designated as National Forest Products Week, and the President is requested to issue annually a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe such week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
From building materials and paper products to furniture and bioenergy, wood has a central tie to our daily lives. Today, decades after its launch, National Forest Products Week celebrates one of our nation’s most valuable resources and the people who transform trees into countless products that improve our lives.
For more information and to learn about events being held across the state, please visit the Wisconsin Forestry Center’s website.
