Lacey Act declarations top 500,000

Lacey Act declarations top 500,000    The U.S. government has received more than a half-million import declarations listing the plant type or wood content of products since implementing the amended Lacey Act began in May 2009, an Agriculture Department official said.
   Congress banned the buying or selling of wood or wood-based products in violation of national forestry laws anywhere in the world. To monitor trade in illegally harvested wood, the law requires an import declaration listing the scientific name of the plant in the product, quantity, value and country of origin.
   Importers have submitted more than 431,000 electronic declarations and more than 76,000 paper forms, said Mike Simon, director of quarantine policy analysis and support staff, at a regular meeting for industry representatives to provide feedback to the Department of Homeland Security on trade and security matters.
   Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service partners with U.S. Customs, a DHS component, to enforce the law.
   A report to Congress on the status of Lacey Act enforcement is awaiting Justice Department comments, but should be submitted by DHS by late November or early December, he said. ' Eric Kulisch