Lumber Liquidators: Trading Siberian Tigers, Organized Crime, and Illegal Logging for Cheap Flooring

posted by Rainforest Action Network
Extinction for cheap flooring? Hell no.
Extinction for cheap flooring? Hell no.

A shocking new report shows direct ties between hardwood flooring giant Lumber Liquidators, organized crime, and the illegal logging of the habitat of the last 450 Siberian Tigers. This shameless disregard for the last few remaining members of the species in pursuit of cheap flooring is not only disgusting, it’s illegal under American law and has prompted a federal investigation.

Take Action: Tell Lumber Liquidators to immediately eliminate illegal hardwoods from their products.

Posing undercover as large scale lumber buyers, RAN’s awesome and much admired allies at the Environmental Investigation Agency infiltrated the worst of the worst of a shadowy network of illegal logging operations in Russia’s Far East and tracked their shipments back to their biggest customer, the largest retailer of flooring in the United States, Lumber Liquidators.

The remote area where this rapid deforestation is occurring is the last frontier of old growth hardwoods in the region and the last habitat in Russia for the highly endangered Siberian Tiger. Thanks to the US Lacey Act, amended in 2008 to ban the trade of illegal wood and forest products, this case is now under active investigation by the US Department of Justice.

For the amazing backstory of how this came to be, watch EIA’s video (below) and then read their recently released report Liquidating the Forests: Hardwood Flooring, Organized Crime and the World’s Last Siberian Tigers.

In order to retain even a shred of credibility, Lumber Liquidators needs to immediately and irrevocably take action to improve due diligence and bring itself into compliance with the Lacey Act. It must eliminate forest illegality, destruction and human rights violations from its supply chain. Lumber Liquidators must cut supply chain ties with Xingjia, the supplier which is the source of this illegal hardwood, and adopt and implement a comprehensive procurement policy that ensures the company will never again be involved in destroying old growth and endangered forests, abuse of human rights and run away climate change.

The time for action is now—add your name here to send your message directly to Lumber Liquidators.

//www.youtube.com/embed/UKqwMH2N0vc