Grant says the alliance will develop an easy-to-use, on-line risk management program to help companies sort through a minefield of legal and environmental regulations.

"If you want to buy from a country, you can click on that country and you can drill down to the district you want to buy from and different information will pop up of what the legal requirements of that country [are], the risk from purchasing there, the species you're purchasing, what are the ramifications of buying that and then you can make an informed decision."

Businesses on board

Another partner in the Forest Legality Alliance is the International Wood Products Association, an industry trade group that represents 200 companies, mostly in the United States.

Executive Vice President Brent McClendon says taking steps to assure legal trade makes good sense for the environment and for business

"By doing more trade, you are doing [well] in the forest. And so, once we get out there in the alliance and we start talking about the value that increased trade brings for forest protection, then it's going to allow us to sell the message so that architects and designers can increasingly specify imported wood products. It gives them an assurance, almost a de-facto certification that imported wood products are good."

McClendon adds that it is an opportunity to harvest sustainable timber and gain access to new markets as traders comply with the new requirements. He says the European Union and Australia are considering similar rules to curb illegal wood trade.