Forest Management Bureau

The United States Congress amended the Lacey Act to include a broader range of timber, plants, and wood and plant products derived from illegally harvested plants. The Lacey Act also makes it unlawful to import certain plants and plant products to the US without an import declaration. Read more
In addition to protecting wildlife, the Lacey Act, as amended, is an important new tool to combat illegal logging. The amendments included in the 2008 Farm Bill will help United States to support other countries, as well as their own States, with their efforts to protect plant resources.
The Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant, with some limited exceptions, taken or traded in violation of the laws of a U.S. State and most foreign laws.
The amended Lacey Act also introduces the requirement for a "plant import declaration". The scope of the declaration requirement has potentially broad applicability covering products from lumber and wood pulp to sporting goods, pharmaceuticals, and other products.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and other Federal agencies involved in enforcing the provisions in the Act are working together to phase in enforcement of the new declaration requirements beginning April 1, 2009, or as soon thereafter as an electronic data collection system is available to collect the information. The initial focus will be on products most closely linked to illegal logging.
When enforced, the declaration will require information on the country where the plant material (wood) was harvested, and the genus and species; the declaration does not require information on legality.
To learn more about the most current information in implementation of the amended Lacey Act, please click on
USDA-APHIS Web01 or USDA-APHIS Web02.