At Home: What We Can Do To Help

Take Action: Find out what you can do.

America has the political and economic power to play a major role in stopping illegal logging and its disastrous human, ecological, economic, and political consequences. Through its participation in numerous international bodies, agreements, and bilateral relations, our government can make clear its opposition to environmental crime and human rights violations. The government can support programs and projects to effectively address the problem of illegal logging, and our public officials can take action to help prevent illegally extracted timber from reaching our shores.

In 2003, Congress passed a law banning the importation of "conflict diamonds" from countries where proceeds from the illegal sale are used to purchase weapons. The United States has a law mandating country-of-origin labels on fruit and vegetables imported into the United States.

We need similar laws for illegally extracted wood products from all countries involved in the international timber trade. Consumers have a right to know whether the stores that stock wood and paper products, and the companies that manufacture them, received stolen forest goods. If coffee, textiles, and vegetables can be labeled by country of origin, so can wood products.

Truly accurate identification of logs and processed wood products has proved challenging. Yet having reputable forest-certification programs, which assess forest management practices according to stringent standards, tracking the entire "chain-of-custody" of the log from forest to retail shelf, and providing clear labels to identify the resulting wood can be effective.

So far, the efforts of the best such certification program — the international Forest Stewardship Council — cover only a small portion of the global wood products trade. Most of the international trade in timber retains no labels to identify a wood product’s source regarding country of origin, legality, or level of sustainable management.

Although some certification systems and labels do exist, many are blatantly false, based on exceptionally weak standards, do not track chain-of-custody, or do not require legal harvest. Some governments and timber traders have discussed the creation of label systems for "legally harvested" timber.

At a October 2003 assembly, European Union (EU) farm ministers instructed their executive staff to draw up legislation mandating that only certified legally harvested timber be imported into the EU. Initiatives such as these are an important start in the right direction. However, if such proposals fail to address the management of the forests from which the timber is logged, such labels might effectively translate to "legal... but unsustainable."

Even worse: As a result of such initiatives, some governments seeking to comply with importation legality requirements might intentionally decide to weaken forest-management laws so that "legal" becomes, in effect, meaningless. Each individual, group and community in the U.S. plays a critical role in promoting and advancing effective environmental policies. Your role as an advocate and educator with local, state, national and international political and business figures is critical.

It demonstrates public demand for sound policy. It is only when there is clear public support that treaties get signed, laws get passed, regulations get issued, and procedures get established to eliminate illegal timber products from American and global commerce. It is also essential in defending the human rights of brave environmentalists across the world. Together, we must demand that government and other key decision makers address the totality of the problem.

But these things will not happen without your direct involvement. Likewise, as consumers — and specifically as Americans — we have a very important and personal responsibility in the marketplace: To ask tough questions and demand trustworthy labels before we buy products. We can insist that the origin of wood and timber products be identified and refuse to purchase or use products that have not been legally and sustainably produced. Only then can forest defenders such as those highlighted here, can continue their work with some assurance that their risks and sacrifices have counted.