Lacey Act of 1900 BY Kate Milmoe Period 6

Lacey Act A conservation law in the United States (national) that prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. It was the first federal law protecting wildlife to be passed. The act was signed into law by President William McKinley on May 25, 1900 In 1900, illegal commercial hunting threatened many game species in the United States. The original Act was directed at the preservation of game and wild birds, making it a federal crime to poach game in one state with the purpose of selling the bounty in another The law prohibited the transportation of illegally captured or prohibited animals across state lines, and addressed potential problems caused by the introduction of non-native species of birds and animals into native ecosystems.

Lacey Act Continued The Lacey Act was amended on May 22, 2008 In 2008, to include a wider variety of prohibited plants and plant products, including products made from illegally logged woods, for import. Today, the Lacey Act is used primarily to prevent the importation or spread of potentially dangerous non-native species. The Lacey Act is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)