Natural Resources Bill Would Ban Illegally Harvested Timber Imports.

The article reports on the approval of a bill to ban imports of illegally harvested timber by the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. The bill extends the Lacey Act to cover forest products aside from the original coverage for fish, wildlife and some plants. The American Forest and Paper Association and environmental groups support the bill as illegal logging costs the country about $1 billion a year due to lost exports and lower domestic prices. The bill can help developing countries facing challenges in enforcing harvest bans.