WASHINGTON, June 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Approximately 85 American workers employed in the U.S. forest products industry descended on Washington, D.C., this week and made more than 539 visits with members of Congress and administration officials. Their goal was to educate elected officials on the impacts of legislative and regulatory decisions on the environment and on the families and communities that depend on forest products manufacturing for their livelihood.
The Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council (PPRC), a grassroots organization of hourly employees in the forest products industry, are passionate about educating members of Congress and administration officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Management and Budget, and other government agencies on issues affecting nearly one million American manufacturing jobs in their industry. They represent 53 mills across 23 states.
“Our annual Washington, D.C., fly-in provides the PPRC with an impactful opportunity to visit with Congressional and Administration leaders on environmental issues impacting our industry – especially on topics like renewable biomass energy and its carbon neutrality, paper recycling, air and water regulations and their impact on permitting, as well as forest management,” said PPRC Chairman Matt Hall. “We believe in the importance of sustainable regulation that meets economic and environmental needs and social expectations, avoids unintended harm, and provides pathways for the paper and wood products industry to be an American success story.”
The PPRC specifically discussed several issues with members of Congress, including:
International Trade: The PPRC supports renewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), preserving access to specialized pulp and paper manufacturing equipment and machinery, simplifying the European Deforestation Regulation, and holding non-market economies like China accountable to ensure the U.S. pulp and paper industry remains globally competitive.
Renewable Fuel Standard/Forest Management: The PPRC supports legislation like the Fix Our Forest Act, H.R. 471, to enhance forest management, increasing resilience against fires and disasters, and supporting carbon sequestration, family-wage jobs, and local businesses. Forests sequester carbon, and this is where our industry finds our renewable natural resources. The PPRC opposes expanding renewable fuel incentives to qualify more woody biomass that would distort the market for wood and fiber by subsidizing fuel production to compete directly with pulp and paper mills for the same raw material. This would lead to rising fiber costs, undermining mill competitiveness and shifting U.S. pulp and paper production costing American jobs.
Paper Options: The PPRC believes the public should have the option to choose how they receive government information and services in paper or digital formats. Digital-by-default policies reduce paper use over time, harming the U.S. forest products industry and limits access for those who rely on paper communications. The PPRC opposes S.1877 and H.R. 2241: Improving Disclosure for Investors Act of 2025.
Air Permitting: The PPRC recommends that new Clean Air Act rules consider environmental, social and economic impacts to set sustainable standards and policies to keep our mills competitive and promote job growth in our facilities. Air quality in America has improved dramatically in the past several decades due in part to more efficient, cleaner operating paper mills. Lowering the PM standard will have an outsized impact on the industry. As the U.S. has among the best air quality in the world, these rules are rushed and fraught with scientific uncertainties.
Recycling: The PPRC opposes the Recycled Materials Attribution Act (H.R. 7502) which makes sweeping changes to the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides that could cause public confusion and undermine the recycling system. The PPRC believes a one-size-fits-all solution does not work for all commodities. Paper’s strong recycling success record is proof that it is part of the solution.
Renewable Biomass: The PPRC calls on Congress, the EPA, the Treasury Department and other agencies to provide regulatory certainty for the carbon neutrality of bioenergy from U.S. paper and wood mills, which are the largest producers of carbon-neutral bioenergy. We request inclusion of carbon neutrality provisions in the upcoming Farm Bill and recognition in policies such as clean electricity tax credits.
Carbon Neutrality: The U.S. pulp and paper industry is a leading producer of carbon-neutral bioenergy from residuals of the manufacturing process. We use as much of the tree as possible to make pulp, paper, packaging and wood products.
Endangered Species Act: The PPRC supports Endangered Species Act (ESA) reform to ensure regulations are based on sound science and consider economic impacts. The PPRC believes the ESA is about recovery of a species, not only about preventing extinction, therefore the act should be amended to ensure that the species will not be listed until a recovery plan is developed and appropriations are approved.
Beneficial Use of Paper Mill Residuals: The PPRC asks the EPA to recognize and support the safe and beneficial use of mill residuals, largely composed of tree fiber, as a fertilizer. These mill residuals can be used for agricultural or forest lands, providing reduced soil erosion, less need for irrigation, increased soil nutrient-holding capacity and reduced soil compaction, all of which significantly improve plant growth. The paper and wood products industry no longer uses long-chain PFAS, and residuals show minimal detection levels. PFOA and PFOS are widespread in the environment, and detection limits are extremely low, so they sometimes can be detected in residuals, albeit lower than the background levels found in common house dust.
Water Quality: The PPRC recommends that revisions to the Navigable Waters Protection Rule/Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule retain effective wastewater treatment exclusions to avoid placing unsustainable requirements on our mills. Pulp and paper mills have significantly improved water quality, reducing Total Suspended Solids, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, and Adsorbable Organic Halogens levels by substantial percentages from 2000 to 2020.
PPRC members also thanked the Members of Congress who have joined the Paper and Packaging Caucus, and those Members who attended the Caucus Congressional Reception on June 23.
The PPRC is a grassroots labor organization led by hourly employees advocating for the U.S. forest products industry. We support policies that encourage economic growth, an abundant and sustainable fiber supply and sensible science-based environmental policies. The U.S. forest products industry is vitally important to our nation’s economy, employing approximately 925,000 people. We rank among the top 10 manufacturers in 43 states and represent 4% of total U.S. manufacturing GDP. We are people dedicated to conserving the environment while taking into account the economic stability of the workforce and surrounding community.
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SOURCE The Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council (PPRC)
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