By Gerry Schappell, Vice president of sales, Cikel America
While there is no official set of statistics to quantify the impact of illegally sourced timber on the U.S. economy, let alone on the global environment, the best known estimates claim roughly 10% of logging is done illegally. When translated to a monetary value, domestic export sales plunge close to $450 million each year this practice continues.

With the larger picture being the depletion of one of our greatest natural resources, and the dangerous threat that poses to the environment, the practice of importing and selling illegally sourced lumber for a quick buck has seen better days.

To combat this irresponsible practice, new amendments to the Lacey Act went into effect this year. Representing the nation’s first wildlife protection statute, the beefed up law promises strict and definitive punishment for importing illegally sourced lumber.

The U.S. marketplace, the largest consumer of wood products, is considered the major driving force behind illegal logging, as undocumented wood pours in on the cheap from South America, Central and Southeast Asia, and places in between.

Armed with this knowledge, the amendments have the specific goal of minimizing demand for illegal timber, first by making the practice against the law, accomplished by imposing mandatory declaration documents noting the origin of the wood, the specie, the scientific name and the quantity.

The new process for importing wood products is guided by the principle of “due care,” relying on retailers, importers and manufacturers to use basic common sense. It involves asking questions, having compliance plans and following industry standards.

What is the penalty for importing and selling illegal lumber? How does one year in prison and a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for corporations) for substantive violations sound?

It gets worse, for felony offenses, which kick in when the violator is fully aware of purchasing illegal lumber worth more than $350, the fine leaps to $250,000 ($500,000 for corporations), accompanied by a five-year prison term. Now that’s serious.

The Lacey Act has already created systemic changes in practice, prompting even some of the world’s worst offenders such as Indonesia and Vietnam to seek out trade and licensing agreements.

The message is clear: Retailers selling hardwood flooring must enter partnerships with trusted, responsible sources for sustainable harvested products. The consequences of selling illegally sourced lumber now far outweigh the cheap buck to be gained by simply not practicing good common sense.