Wyden Praises Enforcement of Laws Against Illegal Timber Smuggling

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised news of the first settlement by a major U.S. corporation for illegally smuggling wood, resulting in more than $10 million in fines and penalties.

Wyden authored the 2008 Combatting Illegal Logging Act, which strengthened U.S. laws against illegal logging overseas and ramped up penalties for smuggling lumber and wood products. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., authored the House version of the bill.

“Strengthening laws against smuggling illegal timber protects forests and boosts Oregon’s legal timber industry,” Wyden said. “Today’s announcement shows that tough laws and strong enforcement can make a real difference in raising the bar for environmental enforcement in global trade.”

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