As the political environment surrounding forest legality and illegal logging continues to change, World Resources Institute's Forest Legality Initiative has updated their 2014 legality guide to serve as a more comprehensive resource for businesses and government.

Combating illegal logging is important for protecting and managing forests and biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting economic development, and improving governance. Major international markets have established regulatory frameworks and requirements on the legality of timber: the United States’ 2008 Lacey Act Amendment; the 2012 Australia Illegal Logging Prohibition Act (AILPA); and the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR), which came into effect in 2013. These laws require businesses to take steps to ensure their forest products are legal.

This 2018 version of Sourcing Legally Produced Wood updates and expands information on the implementation of the U.S., EU, and Australian policies and laws. It updates the logging and log export ban table, the timber species listed in the Appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and offers expanded context and information on the issue of illegal logging and associated trade. Legality is not synonymous with sustainability: what is sustainable may not always be legal, and what is legal may not always be sustainable.

“Sourcing Legally Produced Wood: A Guide for Businesses"
Free Download at https://forestlegality.org/sites/default/files/Legality%20Guide_FY18_FINAL.pdf