Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1482881
14 PalletCentral • September-October 2022 palletcentral.com Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Senator Debbie Stabenow is a champion for Michigan agriculture and rural communities. As Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, she wrote the bipartisan 2014 Farm Bill, which streamlined more than 100 programs while making historic investments in land and water conservation, local food systems, and specialty crops. She built on that progress by co-authoring the landmark 2018 Farm Bill, which passed on a solid bipartisan Senate vote of 87-13 – the most votes in favor of a farm bill in history. e bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill strengthens Michigan's agricultural economy, the state's second- largest industry, which supports one in four jobs. e bill also significantly impacts protecting Michigan's Great Lakes, investing in small towns and rural communities, promoting Michigan forestry, growing local food economies, and providing healthy food for families. e wooden pallet sector is also vital to the state, contributing $382M in annual economic output. Debbie Stabenow assumed office on January 3, 2001. Her current term ends on January 3, 2025. She served as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2011 to 2015 and became chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee in 2017. Congressman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) Congressman Glenn "GT" ompson is no stranger to NWPCA. He advocates for family farms and rural communities, helping to secure funding for critical programs that help farmers thrive. Pennsylvania holds some of the finest hardwood timber in the world. For generations, timber harvesting has been an economic engine throughout the region while also serving a dual role of providing environmental and forest management benefits. He sees firsthand how national forests, like Allegheny National Forest in his district, can successfully operate for multiple uses. More than a billion dollars in hardwood and hardwood products are exported annually from the United States. Among the many products, forest iStockphoto.com/catalby