On May 22, 2008, the United States Congress passed the Lacey Act, amending the existing statute that had previously been used primarily for fighting wildlife crime. The act bans illegally sourced plants and products, and promotes a new standard of environmental responsibility for U.S. importers of natural products from abroad.
The Lacey Act states: any plant taken, possessed, transported, sold, or exported in violation of an underlying law in any foreign country is deemed an “illegally-sourced plant.” A Lacey Act violation is incurred when a company or party imports, exports, transports, sells, receives, acquires, or purchases an illegally-sourced plant.
Selectively harvesting commercially viable species and replanting seed trees after harvest adds value to the standing forest, and provides much needed jobs while protecting the forest from clear cutting for agricultural use. When purchasing responsibly harvested goods, you help to support forest communities in addition to the integrity of the forests themselves.
Producing these products sustainably is essential to survival of our planet. Landowners and local people in areas outside the US need a way to get value from their land. Reasonable market prices and consumer support for tropical lumber products minimizes the incentive to clear cut tropical forests to convert the area for agricultural use.
SC Surfaces, LLC associates only with those companies fully compliant with the Lacey Act regulations. We support United States policy makers taking steps to ensure the health and well-being of forests and plant species around the world. **our thanks to novausawoods.com
