EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 39, Amendment Number 1

By virtue of the authority vested in me by law, I hereby amend Executive Order Number 39, executed April 11, 2013, by deleting the same in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

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

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;

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;

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);

WHEREAS, the use of wood building materials from responsibly managed, certified forests in Alabama benefits our economy, our natural environment, and our citizens;

WHEREAS, many manufacturers and suppliers of building materials in Alabama are working to reduce the impacts of the manufacturing processes on our shared natural environment; and

WHEREAS, the use of locally-sourced building materials that have been responsibly extracted, harvested, and/or manufactured within our region reduces air pollution and fuel costs associated with transportation and supports our regional economy.

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, renovated, or expanded state building that incorporates “green building” standards must encourage the use of local and regional Alabama products, including wood from responsibly managed certified forests and must treat wood products fairly when compared with non-renewable materials.
2. The design and construction of any new, renovated, or expanded state building should make every effort to utilize sustainable, locally-sourced building materials and products that are responsibly harvested, extracted and manufactured in Alabama in order to make wise use of Alabama’s natural resources, reduce waste, and prevent pollution of our air and waterways.
3. 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.

BE IT ORDERED, that this Executive Order shall become effective immediately and shall remain in effect until amended or modified by the Governor.

DONE AND ORDERED this 22nd day of January, 2016.

Robert Bentley
Governor

Attested:

John H. Merrill
Secretary of State