The President’s Initiative Against Illegal Logging: Protecting Forests and the Livelihoods that Depend on Them

Illegal logging costs countries $10-15 billion each year in lost revenues. Illegal logging and the trade in illegally harvested forest products destroy valuable forest ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them, undermine legitimate commerce, fuel conflict, and have serious economic and environmental consequences. The United States ' President's Initiative Against Illegal Logging (PIAIL) aims to address the problem working with producer and consumer partners. The PIAIL, launched in 2003, has achieved notable results.

Our Strategy

• Build capacity in developing countries to clarify and enforce forest-related laws, and to establish good governance at all levels.
• Engage forest-dependent communities in sustainably managing forests.
• Promote the use of technologies such as remote sensing to monitor changes in forest conditions and compliance with forest-related laws.
• Promote good business practices, transparent markets and legal trade.  

Recent Developments

China – The United States and China -- the world's largest wood producers, consumers and traders, have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade to work cooperatively to strengthen forest law enforcement and governance, share information on illegal logging and associated trade, and promote transparent timber markets and legal timber trade.

Indonesia – The United States and Indonesia are working under a 2006 bilateral agreement to combat illegal logging and associated trade while helping to ensure Indonesia 's legally produced timber and wood products have continued access to United States markets.

Liberia – The governments of the United States and Liberiaare working to foster important forest sector reforms to help restore legitimacy and fiscal transparency to the country's war-ravaged forest sector through the Liberia Forest Initiative.

Central America – The United States is providing $18 million for environmental cooperation under the U.S. Free Trade Agreement with Central America and the Dominican Republic . A portion of these funds is being used to improve governance in the region, including forest law enforcement.

International Engagement – The United States continues to catalyze political commitment to combat illegal logging and associated trade through G8 commitments and support regional Forest Law Enforcement and Governance processes launched in East Asia (2001), Africa (2003), and Europe and North Asia (2005). The United States co-sponsored the landmark 2007 resolution by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to combat illicit trafficking in forest products by organized criminal groups that also traffic in drugs, arms and persons.

Private Sector Engagement – Through the Sustainable Forest Products Global Alliance , the United States is working with forest product companies and suppliers worldwide to promote responsible forest management and trade, reduce illegal logging, and improve the well-being of communities in developing countries. As a result, 25 million hectares of forests are being better managed and moving toward certification eligibility.

The United States and The Nature Conservancy launched the Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) program in 2007, forging a catalytic group of NGOs, governments and the private sector to transform the tropical timber trade in Asia . The program aims to improve forest management practices, promote timber trade from certified legal sources, and strengthen regional cooperation on forest management and trade.

Local Engagement – Public participation at all levels is fundamental to combating illegal logging. The United States supports programs in Ecuador , Madagascar , Peru , the Philippines and others to help communities and local and national governments work together to manage forests and fight illegal encroachment.

Technical Knowledge and Tools – Through public-private partnerships, the United States is providing technical assistance to conserve threatened forests and protect threatened species, working to:

• Restore forests in the Malaysian state of Sabah, an important orangutan habitat.
• Enhance the use of remote sensing technologies to monitor real-time changes in forest conditions in the Congo Basin.
• Develop and test wood tracking technologies in Peru and Bolivia.
• Strengthen information sharing on cross-border timber trade in Europe and Asia.
• Introduce methodologies and tools to combat illegal logging in Russia and the Balkans

Related Initiatives

Through the Congo Basin Forest Partnership the United States works with more than 36 governments and non-government partners toward the shared goal of conserving the forest of central Africa to benefit the region's people. Since 2002, the United States has committed about $85 million to help forest users and owners in the Congo Basin to sustainably manage their forests.

Under the 1998 Tropical Forest Conservation Act , the United States has concluded debt-for-nature agreements with 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, helping to relieve official debt to the United States . These agreements will generate $163 million over 10-25 years to help conserve important tropical forests in partner countries.