Lacey Act Compliance: Recent Developments

The recently released reports of two non-profit groups serve as reminders of how companies that trade in goods derived from certain plants, fish, and wildlife must ensure compliance with the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act prohibits, among other things, trade in plants, fish, or wildlife that have been taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of U.S., state, tribal, or foreign law. Violations of the Act can result in substantial criminal and civil penalties, a point not lost on the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Union of Concerned Scientists, the two non-profit organizations recently advocating for increased enforcement of the Lacey Act to impede the importation of illegally harvested wood into the U.S.