Santa Monica Moves to Ban Tropical Timber
The City Council has moved to make Santa Monica the nation’s first city to ban the use of tropical timber in construction as a protest against destruction of rain forests.
The council voted 5 to 1 this week to ask City Atty. Robert Myers to research the legality of an ordinance similar to one proposed in Berkeley that would prohibit the use of exotic woods.
The ordinance would ban tropical timber in municipal and private projects in the coastal community. Suppliers would have to provide written statements certifying that their wood is not from tropical rain forests. Councilman David Finkel, who proposed the ban, said the city’s commitment to environmental issues makes the law appropriate.
Only the University of North Carolina has passed such a ban. Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a statewide ban.
Similar campaigns are under way in West Germany, where 30 local councils have stopped using exotic woods, and in Holland, where 40% of the municipalities are reducing their tropical timber use.
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