This use of tropical hardwoods has expanded dramatically over the last 15 years. Just ten years ago there were only a handful of importers that dealt in tropical hardwood decking. Now, unfortunately, it may be available at your local lumber yard. This increased demand is driving illegal and destructive logging in rainforests in the Amazon, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Ipê is probably the most targeted species, but greenheart, cumaru, jarrah (a sub-tropical species from Australia), ekki (bangassi, azobe), apitong, mahogany, teak and a few others are used for decking as well. For more on these species, see the By Species section.

The follwing companies import, wholesale or retail rainforest wood decking. Don't buy products from these companies until they end their sales of woods from endangered tropical forests.

Brazilian Decking

Brown & Bryant

Greenheart Durawoods
Greenheart Durawoods sells a number of species of tropical hardwoods under the brand name "Pau Lope". Greenheart Durawoods was the company that first convinced New York City to use ipê for the boardwalk in Coney Island, thus beginning a marketing trend that has led to ipê becoming the largest timber export from Brazil. Ipê is one of the species most targeted by illegal loggers in Brazil.

While Greenheart Durawoods can sell certified wood, they rarely do. All their wood is not certified, so don't be fooled.

See Greenheart Durawoods' website.

Contact Greenheart Durawoods and tell them to stop selling wood from endangered tropical forests. If they reply, please contact us.

Info@paulope.com
PO Box 1362
6901 Chestnut Ave.
Merchantville, NJ 08109


J. Gibson McIlvain

Lewis Lumber Products

Timber Holdings, Ltd., (THL)
Timber Holdings, a division of Cecco Trading, sells tropical hardwoods under the brand name "Iron Woods". THL is now the largest seller of ipê lumber in the U.S. Rainforest Relief has opposed Timber Holdings in numerous campaigns and in a number of cases we stopped the sale of uncertified ipê by Timber Holdings.

While Timber Holdings can sell certified wood, they rarely do. All their wood is not certified, so don't be fooled.

See Timber Holdings' website.

Contact Timber Holdings and tell them to stop selling wood from endangered tropical forests. If they reply, please contact us.

Ph: 414-445-8989
Fax: 414-445-9155


William G. Moore, (WGM)
William G. Moore is the largest seller of greenheart to New York City and may be the largest importer of greenheart pilings in the U.S. They also carry decking of uncertified tropical hardwoods.

Far from being an environmental leader, WGM relies on faulty and out-of-date reports, some done by radical right-wing journalists working to debunk the need for environmental conservation.

In their favor, WGM now also carries Polywood recycled plastic lumber, the preferred alternative for pilings, boardwalks, docks, ferry terminals and railroad track ties.

Contact WGM and tell them to become a real environmental leader by ending their imports and sales of unceritifed tropical hardwoods and to shift entirely to selling only environmentally preferable alternatives such as Polywood.

190 South Street
P.O. Box 6309
Freehold, NJ 07728
PHONE: (732) 303-6049 FAX: (732) 303-6075
E-MAIL: wgmoorelbr@aol.com