Remi G. Lalonde, Resolute’s president and chief executive officer, accompanied by Seth Kursman, vice president, corporate communications, sustainability and government affairs, took advantage of the opportunity to meet with federal elected officials who represent Resolute facilities while recently in Washington, D.C.
Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR), who represents Resolute’s Glenwood and El Dorado sawmills in Arkansas, as well as Domtar’s Ashdown pulp and paper operation, and a senior member of his committee staff, joined Remi, Seth and Steve Henry, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Domtar, for a dinner discussion. As the only degreed forester in Congress, Congressman Westerman is a strong advocate for the forest products industry and chairs the powerful House Natural Resources Committee.
Additional meetings included:
- Senator Rick Scott (FL), who represents Resolute’s Florida sawmill and tissue operations and sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Budget committees, among others.
- Senator John Boozman (AR), representing both of Resolute’s sawmills in Arkansas as well as Domtar’s Ashdown mill. The Senator serves as ranking member on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, as well as the Appropriations committees, among others.
- Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), who represents Resolute’s Grenada, Mississippi, newsprint operation and serves on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and Appropriations, as well as Energy and Natural Resources committees, among others.
- Newly elected Senator Katie Britt (AL), who representes Resolute’s Coosa Pines, Alabama, fluff pulp mill and sits on the Appropriations, and Banking, Housing and Urban Development, as well as Rules and Administration committees.
- Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.
Discussions with officials focused on: the economic impact of Resolute’s facilities on the state and local economies where the company operates; the need for regulatory certainty in recognizing the carbon neutrality of biomass in the 2023 Farm Bill; the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in development of new regulations; and expressing support for the U.S. and Canada to engage in consensus-building, pragmatic settlement discussions on the long-standing softwood lumber dispute.
