What is the Lacey Act?
On May 22, 2008, the U.S. Congress passed a groundbreaking law banning commerce in illegally sourced plants and their products — including timber and wood products. The new law was an amendment to a 100-year-old statute, named the Lacey Act after the Congressman who first championed it over a century ago. While the Lacey Act has long been one of the most powerful tools for the U.S. agencies fighting wildlife crime, its potential to combat illegal logging remained untapped prior to 2008. Since then, the Lacey Act has set a groundbreaking precedent for the global trade in plants and plant products, acknowledging and supporting each country’s effort to govern its own natural resources and putting in place powerful incentives for companies trading in these commodities to abide by these laws. Watch the video below to learn more.
about the coalition
The Lacey Coalition is a unique alliance of environmental groups, businesses (landowners, sawmill, lumber, paper companies, wood importers) and labor unions who advocated for the 2008 amendments, and support their implementation and enforcement. All view the onslaught of illegal timber and related wood products trade as an immediate threat to forests around the world and to forest product businesses across the United States.
see the amendment in action
“The Lacey Act is our best friend.”
The following videos share perspectives about the history and impacts of the Lacey Act from Resident of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia including Chuck Leveall, a tree farmer from Georgia and the keyboard player for the Rolling Stones.
