Adam Gustafson

Presentation to the Timber Interdiction Membership Board and Encorement Recourses Working Group. …The US Dept of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division continues to uphold its long-standing commitment to enforcing the nation’s environmental laws and defending the responsible use of her natural resources. Today’s event is designed to provide an overview of what the federal government is doing to combat one of the most pervasive and lucrative forms of transnational crime. …The US was the first country to criminalize the transnational trafficking of plants and plant products, including timber, when the Lacey Act was amended in 2008. …Since 2008, we have seen other countries follow our lead. This includes Australia, the European Union, Japan, and the United Kingdom among others. …The only way we can end the illegal timber trade is to cut off the demand for illegal wood products. This is done through effective and collaborative enforcement efforts.