I wanted to continue my look at Lacey in the U.S. The rules a U.S. harvester must follow vary from state to state and are based on the type of timber and location-rules and procedures for both purchase and harvest are often different if it's state or federal land vs. privately held.
Interestingly though, the U.S. rules do not always require a plan for sustainability of the forest.
The Congressional study cited last week pointed out that the laws in the U.S. may differ from those in other countries. "For example, logging without a government-approved management plan may be legal in parts of the United States, but illegal in Brazil." In fact, most international harvesting, even on private lands, requires forest management plans while in the U.S., most private harvesting can be done without a specific management policy. Many U.S. states require certain procedures to be followed to protect the surrounding environment, most commonly related to watersheds, but a requirement of a full management plan is rare.
This means that, ironically, while most U.S. wood is likely to be legally harvested, the legality does not automatically imply sustainability. On the other hand, in the case of most internationally harvested wood, legality does imply sustainability. This is not to say that U.S. wood, particularly U.S. hardwoods, are not highly sustainable-they are and they are being very well-managed on the whole-but it does mean that Lacey means that international material traded in the U.S. is almost guaranteed to be not just legal, but also sustainable.
As you start to look at U.S. forestry law, you'll find the legal directory HG Org to be a good reference. They have provided a "Guide to Forestry Law" with links to both U.S. and international sources of information.
And below is a collection of links information provided by a variety of U.S. states regarding their specific BMPs (Best Management Practices) or specific regulations for timber harvesting. This is far from complete, but should start help start someone's research.
Arkansas - www.forestry.state.ar.us/manage/manage.html Connecticut - www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=322792&depNav_GID=1631&depNav Delaware - http://dda.delaware.gov/forestry/forms/2007/2007_BMP.pdf Georgia - www.gatrees.org/ForestManagement/documents/BMPManualGA0609.pdf Illinois - http://dnr.state.il.us/conservation/forestry/IFDA/index.htmIndiana - www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/fo-timber-harvest.pdf Louisiana - www.ldaf.state.la.us/portal/Offices/Forestry/ForestryEnforcement/StateForestryRulesRegulations/tabid/409/Default.aspx Maine - www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/rules_regs/index.htm Maryland - www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/programapps/newFCA.asp Massachusetts - www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/forestry/service/lawsnforms.htm Michigan - www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-30301_30505_41820---,00.htmlMinnesota - www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/harvesting/index.html Mississippi - www.mfc.ms.gov/pdf/Mgt/WQ/Entire_bmp_2008-7-24.pdf Missouri - http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/22317.pdf New Hampshire - www.nhdfl.org/fire-control-and-law-enforcement/timber-harvest.aspx New Jersey - www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/nj_bmp_manual1995.pdf New York - www.dec.ny.gov/lands/37845.html North Carolina - www.dfr.state.nc.us/publications.htm Ohio - www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/18/landowner/pdf/bmplogging.pdf Pennsylvania - www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stewardship_bulletins%5C12_Best_Management_Practices.pdf Rhode Island - www.dem.ri.gov/pubs/regs/index.htm#forest South Carolina - www.state.sc.us/forest/le.htm Tennessee - www.state.tn.us/agriculture/publications/forestry/BMP_Booklet.pdf Vermont - www.vtfpr.org/regulate/documents/Timber_Harvest09_web.pdf Virginia - www.dof.virginia.gov/resources/pub-2005-Va-Forestry-Laws.pdf West Virginia - www.wvforestry.com/lsca.cfm?menucall=lsca Wisconsin - http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/Usesof/bmp/index_water.htm
