The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is the national trade association of the forest, pulp, paper, paperboard, and wood products industry. We represent member companies engaged in growing, harvesting, and processing wood and wood fiber, manufacturing pulp, paper, and paperboard products from both virgin and recycled fiber, and producing engineered and traditional wood products. AF&PA's mission is to influence successfully public policy to benefit the U.S paper and forest products industry. AF&PA was founded on January 1, 1993, as a result of a merger between the National Forest Products Association and the American Paper Institute. From its first day of operation, AF&PA has met the expectations of its founders. The association's inclusive "big tent" philosophy has successfully united the various sectors of the forest products industry, providing an effective and influential presence in the public policy arena on all matters of industry concern. AF&PA's voice is heard by the Administration, Congress, federal regulatory agencies, and state legislatures. In addition, AF&PA has taken its leadership beyond the boundaries of the U.S. in its efforts to bring the world's forest products industries together and remove artificial barriers to competition.