Remarks as prepared for delivery.
Thank you for all for the opportunity to be here. And thank you to the entire Environmental and Natural Resources Division staff for bringing together key stakeholders to collaborate on and discuss an important priority of President Trump’s Administration.
We are here today to join forces to implement a set of federal initiatives that protect three fundamental ideas:
First, that we, American citizens, deserve to be protected from transnational criminal organizations that threaten and exploit our borders and our citizens;
Second, that the American timber industry – the industry that builds our homes, schools, hospitals, and military installations that defend our families and friends – should not be stifled by foreign supply chains;
And lastly, that we should embrace our country’s network of timber resources, which should not be paralyzed by a burdensome regulatory framework.
Illegal logging is the most profitable natural resource crime on the planet. It is also the third most profitable transnational crime. Ending illegal timber shipments from entering our country protects Americans from unfair competition and blocks unlawful revenue streams from transnational criminal organizations.
These criminal organizations exploit the complex innerworkings of the global supply chain to conceal their unlawful activities.
Preventing these bad actors like China – the world’s large importer of illegal timber – from profiting off of illegal logging means that we are simultaneously thwarting their efforts to finance violent conflicts, drug and wildlife trafficking, and illegal mining.
The United States has some of the most abundant timber resources on earth. Yet, we have allowed ourselves to rely on imports to support our timber needs.
We must take action to stymie the United States’ continued reliance on foreign timber. We have been ceding influence to foreign producers, who exploit the complexity of the global supply chain and then benefit from their illicit activities.
At the same time, our country has been hamstrung by the regulatory framework in this industry, which, in turn, causes years-long delay in timber sales.
The wood that frames our homes, builds our schools and hospitals, and constructs military installations are either compelled to rely on shady foreign importers or stifled by burdensome regulatory schemes.
But this is why we are here today. To collaborate on how we fix this problem. Timber is the backbone of national security and American society.
I now leave it to the experts in the room. I trust that we will have productive discussions today, and look forward to working with you all.
