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What are forest resources?
Forest Resources are any value or benefit deriving from the forest. They
include forest products, of course, but also fish and wildlife habitat,
watershed protection, air and water purification, and recreational
opportunities.
What is the Forest Resources
Association?
Forest Resources Association (FRA) is a national trade association that promotes the interests of forest
products industry members in the economical, efficient, and sustainable
use of forest resources to meet the needs of the wood fiber supply chain
through private enterprise. Click here for more detail about FRA’s
Mission.
What is the wood fiber supply chain?
Use of this term recognizes the connected interests that are all necessary
to generate value in the forest resource. The chain begins with the
landowner and continues with planting and land management through
harvesting and transport of raw wood products to processing them and
manufacturing them into paper, lumber, and other finished products. Each
of these links needs to be strong to promote the common goal of a
sustainable forest resource.
Who are FRA’s members?
The nation’s consumers of unprocessed wood fiber, including pulp, paper,
and building products plants; the nation’s suppliers of unprocessed wood
fiber, including logging contractors and wood dealers; enterprises that
support the forest resource industries, such as providers of equipment,
tools, and services; and owners and managers of forest lands.
What are FRA’s goals?
As expressed in FRA's 2006-2008 Strategic Plan, the organization
directs itself to the following two goals:
What does FRA do for its members?
FRA is a forum in which all members of the forest resources
community—foresters, loggers, landowners, and product manufacturers—can
meet to solve problems and leverage opportunities within the wood fiber
supply chain.
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Share information
FRA members publish reports of technical innovations, public outreach
strategies, as well as woodlands safety and security case studies to
allow useful information to circulate throughout the forest resources
community. FRA also gathers statistics on wood fiber consumption and
transportation from various points in the wood supply chain and collates
and publishes them for members.
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Facilitate networking
Committee work, undertaken through meetings, conference calls, and
e-mail exchanges, shares out members’ expertise in projects—whether to
develop a training curriculum, draft voluntary performance guidelines,
or form policies. FRA’s strength lies in its diverse membership’s
commitment to common values.
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Co-ordinate activism
FRA recognizes individuals and organizations committed to supporting the
right to manage forest resources on a sustainable basis through regional
and national award programs and documenting successful or promising
actions in its publications. It also maintains an archive of
pro-forestry activism tools at its Be Active! web site. FRA mobilizes
its geographically diverse membership to respond to action calls on
public policy through its e-mail network.
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Be a change agent
FRA’s active national and regional committee structure has allowed FRA
to lead the forest resources sector in adopting cultural change. FRA led
the movement to raise logging safety awareness in the 1980s, to form
logger training and education programs in the 1990s, and today’s push to
improve relations between wood suppliers and consuming mills through
structured workshops. As changes occur in the wood supply chain, FRA has
both the depth and agility to foster adaptation among supply chain
components.
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Structure problem-solving workshops
FRA’s “Improving Wood Supplier Relationships” workshops, in which
participants at different points of the wood supply chain examine
strengths and weaknesses in supply relationships and develop
recommendations that produce savings and efficiencies throughout, show
the special access FRA’s position and culture provides.
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Provide member education
FRA has developed continuing education modules filling members’
educational needs on business, legal, professional, and operational
skills topics, all designed for workshop presentation in a format that
recognizes the principles of adult education. Some modules are designed
to be led by an FRA staff member; others may be led by volunteer
discussion leaders working with videos and other curriculum materials. |
Is FRA a lobbyist?
Yes. On national legislative or regulatory issues affecting the safety or
efficiency of timber harvesting operations, including in-bound
transportation of unprocessed forest products, FRA has the lead forest
industry role. FRA has represented forest resource users on fuel and
highway use taxation, federal safety regulation, and policies and
regulations affecting independent contractors’ rights.
FRA does not have the lead lobbying role on federal natural resource
policy or forest management but helps mobilize its members’ support for
allied organizations’ campaigns on those issues.
How can I join FRA?
Click here to review FRA membership categories and dues rates and to
download application forms.
Forest Resources Association
Inc. (FRA)
600 Jefferson Plaza, Suite 350,
Rockville, MD 20852
FRA National office telephone: 301/838-9385
Click here for FRA Staff and FRA Division
contact information
FRA Site Map
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