EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 39

WHEREAS, job creation and a competitive and robust economy are number one priorities for Alabama; and

WHEREAS, the forest products industry is the state’s second largest manufacturing industry, producing over 45,000 direct jobs and 4-8 times the number of indirect jobs; and

WHEREAS, Alabama’s pulp and paper industry is the largest in the United States, and ranks 8th in the world in pulp and 12th in paper production and is the 7th largest producer of lumber in the U.S. and 9th in wood panel production; and

WHEREAS, over 30% of Alabama’s 22.8 million acres of forest land is third party certified, of which 3.2 million acres are managed according to Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. (SFI) standards, 3.6 million acres are managed according to the American Forest Foundation’s Standards of Sustainability and implemented by the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), and 6 thousand acres are managed according to standards established by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has established a goal of energy and natural resource conservation in new construction as well as expansion and retrofitting of existing buildings; and established a “green building” rating system that only recognizes forest products certified to FSC standards; and

WHEREAS, favoring only one forest certification standard in the “green building” rating system places forest landowners and the forest products industry at a competitive disadvantage, which severely limits the marketability of much of the wood grown in Alabama and the forest products manufactured in the State;  and

WHEREAS, favoring only the FSC standard poses a serious threat to the jobs of thousands of Alabamians employed in the forest products industry, the value of forest products grown by the 440,000 forest landowners, and the overall health of the State’s economy; and

NOW, THEREFORE, based on these considerations and for other good and valid reasons related thereto, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Alabama, do hereby order and direct as follows:

1. The design and construction of any new or expanded state building that incorporates “green building” standards must give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the American Tree Farm System, and the Forest Stewardship Council, any other credible forest certification program and must treat wood products fairly when compared with non-renewable materials.

2.  State agencies are encouraged to consider using “green building” standards in the construction and expansion of state buildings where such action will result in cost savings in the construction and operation of state buildings, but nothing in this Order shall be construed as requiring the use of “green building” standards in any state building.

DONE AND ORDERED this 11th day of April, 2013.

Robert Bentley

Governor

Attested

Beth Chapman

Secretary of State