NWFA Praises Illegal Logging Ban

St. Louis, MO, June 19, 2008--The National Wood Flooring Association praised Congress for the recent passage of the illegal logging ban.

The ban is an amendment to the Lacey Act, which originally was mandated to protect the illegal trafficking of wildlife. The new amendment has expanded the Act to include wood and wood products, and specifically prohibits the import, sale or trade of wood and other forest products that are illegally harvested outside the U.S.

The NWFA worked with a coalition of industry leaders to promote the ban, including the Hardwood Federation, the International Wood Products Association, the National Harwood Lumber Association and the American Forest & Paper Association.

“This legislation is a huge accomplishment for the wood products industry,” says NWFA Executive Director Ed Korczak. “Not only does it protect our world’s forests, but it also protects industry representatives who practice their due diligence when purchasing wood products from other countries. The United States has stated clearly that we will no longer tolerate the destruction of our world’s forests through illegal means, and for the first time, the burden of proof for legal harvesting is placed on the country of origin, not the purchaser. That’s a huge step forward for our industry.”