From Vietnam to Brazil, from China to Africa, blowing the whistle on Illegal logging has proved difficult and all too often, dismally ineffective. Meanwhile, the decimation of forests for paper and other timber-based industries has resulted in a disastrous acceleration of species loss and increased greenhouse gases. Just this month, Vietnam reported illegal, freshly downed logs being smuggled straight from the forests onto passenger trains to be sold to manufacturers.

Cheap paper products made from logs harvested in countries such as these with lax environmental and labor laws have long found their way into the North American marketplace, taking a harsh toll on domestic paper manufacturing. Legislation signed into law in June, however, is poised to make a major difference. Senators. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced the bipartisan 2007 “Combat Illegal Logging Act”, which was further championed by Congressman Earl Blumenauer, also of Oregon.

Finally signed, sealed and delivered, S.1930 amends the Lacey Act of 1981, making it a crime to knowingly import, sell, buy or transport illegally-sourced wood and wood products. It enables enforcement agencies to crack down on illegitimate timber and timber product traffickers. The Lacey Act currently regulates wildlife, fish and certain plants, but by December, will mandate the verification of the species and country of origin of all imported plants and plant products. 2

Endorsed by the forest industry, environmental groups and organized labor, S1930 is precisely the kind of legislation we need, but keeping a watchful eye on enforcement is critical. Our “ISSUES” series will keep you current with the risks of imported paper.

Click on the red folder icons on the left of the screen to learn more. Bookmark this page and stay tuned as we add more sections. And please, educate your clients and colleagues. Tell them about the risk of paper from unverifiable chains of supply. Send them a link to our site and we’ll get this dialog going.

In the meantime, please feel free to share your story by sending comments to contact@papertellsastory.com.