The President’s Initiative Against Illegal Logging Protecting forests and the livelihoods that depend on them

Illegal logging costs countries $10-15 billion Recent Developments each year in lost revenues. Illegal logging and the trade in illegally harvested forest products China – The United States and China -- the destroy valuable forest ecosystems and the world’s largest wood producers, consumers and wildlife that depend on them, undermine traders – have concluded a Memorandum of legitimate commerce, fuel conflict, and have Understanding on Illegal Logging and serious economic and environmental Associated Trade to work cooperatively to consequences. The United States' President’s strengthen forest law enforcement and Initiative Against Illegal Logging (PIAIL) aims to governance, share information on illegal address the problem working with producer logging and associated trade, and promote and consumer partners. The transparent timber markets and PIAIL, launched in 2003, has legal timber trade. achieved notable results. Indonesia – The United States

and Indonesia are working Our strategy under a 2006 bilateral

agreement to combat illegal Build capacity in logging and associated trade developing countries while helping to ensure to clarify and enforce Indonesia’s legally produced forest-related laws, timber and wood products and to establish good have continued access to governance at all United States markets. levels. Liberia – The governments of Engage forest-dependent the United States and Liberia communities in sustainably are working to foster important forest sector managing forests. reforms to help restore legitimacy and fiscal transparency to the country’s war-ravaged forest Promote the use of technologies sector through the Liberia Forest Initiative. such as remote sensing to monitor changes in forest conditions and Central America – The United States is compliance with forest-related laws. providing $18 million for environmental cooperation under the U.S. Free Trade Promote good business practices, Agreement with Central America and the transparent markets and legal trade. Dominican Republic. A portion of these funds is being used to improve governance in the region, including forest law enforcement.

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International Engagement – The United States Technical Knowledge and Tools – Through continues to catalyze political commitment to public-private partnerships, the United States is combat illegal logging and associated trade through providing technical assistance to conserve G8 commitments and support regional Forest Law threatened forests and protect threatened species, Enforcement and Governance processes launched in working to: East Asia (2001), Africa (2003), and Europe and North Asia (2005). The United States co-sponsored Restore forests in the Malaysian state of the landmark 2007 resolution by the United Nations Sabah, an important orangutan habitat.

Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Enhance the use of remote sensing Justice to combat illicit trafficking in forest technologies to monitor real-time changes in products by organized criminal groups that also forest conditions in the Congo Basin. traffic in drugs, arms and persons. Develop and test wood tracking Private Sector Engagement – Through technologies in Peru and the Sustainable Forest Products Global Bolivia. Alliance, the United States is working with forest product companies and Strengthen information sharing suppliers worldwide to promote on cross-border timber trade in responsible forest management and Europe and Asia. trade, reduce illegal logging, and improve the well-being of communities Introduce methodologies and in developing countries. As a result, tools to combat illegal logging 25 million hectares of forests are being in Russia and the Balkans. better managed and moving toward Related initiatives certification eligibility. Through the Congo Basin Forest The United States and The Nature Partnership the United States works Conservancy launched the Responsible with more than 36 governments and Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) program in 2007, non-government partners toward the shared goal of forging a catalytic group of NGOs, governments and conserving the forest of central Africa to benefit the the private sector to transform the tropical timber trade region’s people. Since 2002, the United States has in Asia. The program aims to improve forest committed about $85 million to help forest users and management practices, promote timber trade from owners in the Congo Basin to sustainably manage certified legal sources, and strengthen regional their forests. cooperation on forest management and trade. Under the 1998 Tropical Forest Conservation Act, the Local Engagement – Public participation at all levels is United States has concluded debt-for-nature fundamental to combating illegal logging. The United agreements with 12 countries in Africa, Asia and States supports programs in Ecuador, Madagascar, Latin America, helping to relieve official debt to the Peru, the Philippines and others to help communities United States. These agreements will generate and local and national governments work together to $163 million over 10-25 years to help conserve manage forests and fight illegal encroachment. important tropical forests in partner countries.

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