Montana residents will have opportunities to celebrate their connections to the state’s forests during Montana Forest Products Week on Oct. 17-24.

All Montanans benefit from the sustainable management of the state’s forests, whether it’s providing clean air and water, abundant recreation and wildlife, wood products used daily or good-paying jobs.

The Montana Legislature established Montana Forest Products Week in 2011 to recognize the forest products manufacturing sector and its contribution to the state’s forests and economy, as well as the value of locally produced wood products and forest stewardship.

“Working forests, and the men and women who work in the forestry sector, provide numerous benefits to Montanans,” Montana State Forester Bob Harrington said. “An integrated forest products infrastructure shouldn’t be taken for granted — it’s integral to the health of our forests and rural economies across the state.”

Harrington said he’s concerned about the precarious position of the state’s remaining mills and logging contractors and supports more proactive forest management that produces timber for them.

“Montana mills and logging contractors create value for forest products, which helps pay for forest restoration projects that improve resiliency to wildfire, insects, and a changing climate,” he said.

Montana has more than 25 million acres of forested lands. Last year, about 7,000 workers made a living working in the forestry sector. Montana mills produce most of the major wood-building materials needed for home and commercial construction. Value-added wood products produced in the state include doors, flooring, window frames, landscape bark, wood-based chemicals and more.

“Montana is fortunate to have innovators and entrepreneurs producing hundreds of wood products sold nationally and internationally,” said Mo Bookwalter, a forest products specialist with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. “Not all states have this combination of highly skilled workers and locally available forest resources.”

During Montana Forest Products Week, school children across the state will have the opportunity to learn firsthand from forestry professionals about forest management, wildland firefighting, insects and disease and forest-based economies.

“This is an opportunity to take these school children out for a day and show them hands-on what it means to manage a forest, what a forester does, to learn to recognize the conditions of the forest that surrounds them and see where wood products are made,” said Amy Helena, of the Montana Society of American Foresters.

All Montanans are encouraged to celebrate their individual connections to the state’s forests and forest products from during Montana Forest Products Week and participate in its events and activities.

The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce will conduct timber tours to showcase forest management, processing facilities and niche markets for Montana wood products.

A schedule of events and information about Montana’s forest products sector is available online at http://dnrc.mt.gov/Forestry/Assistance/Biomass/ForProdWeek/default.asp or on the Montana Forest Products Week Facebook page.