Music Merchants Pressured Over Lacey Act

Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2012 -- The National Association of Music Merchants is being pressured by environmental groups to drop its backing of changes to the U.S Lacey Act.

The issue stems from a raid at the Gibson Guitar company in Nashville regarding the alleged importation of illegally harvested wood, covered by changes to the act in 2008. Guitars are often made with exotic woods.

The original changes to the Lacey Act in 2008 were championed by many in the hardwood flooring industry.

"We urge you to reconsider your support for the RELIEF Act (HR 3210), introduced by Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), and Jim Cooper (D-TN) in October 2011," the letter from the environmental groups read.

"We appreciate the desire to respond to specific concerns of the music community, however, the RELIEF Act is neither the appropriate vehicle nor does it provide the correct substance. Instead it weakens the 2008 amendments to the Lacey Act, a law you claim to support, threatening to reverse important gains in curbing illegal logging and associated trade."

The RELIEF Act would exempt the pulp and paper industry – the vast majority of wood product imports in to the U.S.- from the Lacey act’s core requirements, reduce fines for “first offenders” to just $250 even for large illegal shipments, and eliminate the ability of federal agents to confiscate wood they know has been logged illegally.