The illegal logging ban passed during the summer
of 2008 has received a great deal of attention in the US media, particularly
within the flooring industry.
This legislation is significant for a number of reasons.
First, it protects our world's forests. Second, it protects buyers who practice
due diligence when importing wood from outside the United States. Third, it
eliminates the influx of low-cost, low-quality wood flooring produced from
illegally harvested wood. Penalties for noncompliance with this new legislation
are severe, and can include the forfeiture of the material, $500,000 fines, and
five years jail time.
The US Lacey Act prohibiting the import of illegally logged timber into the US
was passed more than two years ago. Since then, the Environmental Investigation
Agency (EIA) has been working on behalf of industries like ours in supporting
Lacey Act implementation. With the success of the law in the US, the EIA also
helped to introduce similar legislation in the European Union, which was passed
on July 7, 2010. See how this legislation is being enforced, and how it is
impacting our industry worldwide.
To view a detailed PowerPoint presentation about the US Lacey Act,
click here.
Lacey
Act
The illegal logging ban passed during the summer
of 2008 has received a great deal of attention in the US media, particularly
within the flooring industry.
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