Sen. Steve Stadelman

Filed: 3/31/2016

 

 


 

 


 
09900SB3289sam001LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3289

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3289 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Wrongful Tree Cutting Act is amended by
5changing Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 and by adding Sections 2.5,
62.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.5, 4.5, and 4.7 as follows:
 
7    (740 ILCS 185/1)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9401)
8    Sec. 1. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise
9requires, the term:
10    (a) "Stumpage" means the value of timber as it stands uncut
11in terms of an amount per unit of volume expressed as dollar
12value per board foot for that portion of a tree or timber
13deemed merchantable by Illinois forest products markets
14standing tree.
15    (b) "Department" means the Department of Natural
16Resources.

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 2 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1    (c) "Director" means the Director of Natural Resources.
2    (d) "Party" means any person, partnership, firm,
3association, business trust or corporation.
4    (e) "Protected land" means land in public or private
5ownership that is:
6        (1) subject to a permanent conservation right
7    consistent with the Real Property Conservation Rights Act;
8        (2) registered or designated as a Nature Preserve,
9    buffer or Land and Water Reserve under the Illinois Natural
10    Areas Preservation Act;
11        (3) owned by a conservation land trust meeting
12    requirements as set forth in Section 501(c) of the United
13    States Internal Revenue Code; or
14        (4) held in public trust by a local, State, or federal
15    agency and primarily used for one or more conservation
16    purposes, such as wildlife habitat, erosion control,
17    energy conservation, natural community restoration,
18    general reforestation, timber production, or research.
19    (f) "Qualified professional forester or ecological
20restoration professional" means a person who holds any
21necessary licenses and has performed the type of remediation
22work necessary as part of the person's profession for greater
23than 30% of his or her working hours during each of the
24preceding 3 years.
25(Source: P.A. 89-445, eff. 2-7-96.)
 

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 3 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1    (740 ILCS 185/2)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9402)
2    Sec. 2. Except as provided in Sections 2.5, 2.7, and 7, any
3Any party found to have intentionally cut or knowingly caused
4to be cut any timber or tree, other than a tree or woody plant
5referenced in the Illinois Exotic Weed Act, which he or she did
6not have the full legal right to cut or cause caused to be cut
7shall pay the owner of the timber or tree 3 times its stumpage
8value.
9(Source: P.A. 84-138.)
 
10    (740 ILCS 185/2.5 new)
11    Sec. 2.5. Trees intentionally cut or knowingly caused to be
12cut on protected land. Any party found to have intentionally
13cut or knowingly caused to be cut any standing timber or tree,
14other than a tree or woody plant referenced in the Illinois
15Exotic Weed Act, on protected land, and the party did not have
16the legal right to so cut or cause to be cut, must pay the
17person or entity that owns or holds a conservation right to the
18land 3 times stumpage value plus remediation costs. Remediation
19costs include one or more of the following:
20        (1) cleanup to remove trees, portions of trees, or
21    debris from trees cut, damaged, moved, placed, or left as a
22    result of tree cutting from perennial drainage ways or
23    water holding basins;
24        (2) soil erosion stabilization and remediation for
25    issues that were not pre-existing;

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 4 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1        (3) remediation of damages to the native standing trees
2    and other native woody or herbaceous plant understory;
3        (4) remediation of damages to the native tree
4    understory through coppicing, planting of potted native
5    trees, planting of native tree seedlings as individual
6    practices or in combination as deemed appropriate under
7    Section 3.5 of this Act. Any work under this item (4) must
8    be done by a qualified professional forester or ecological
9    restoration professional;
10        (5) associated exotic plant species control for a
11    period of 3 years with one treatment per year on those
12    portions of the property where trees were wrongfully cut if
13    prior to the encroachment there had been an active and
14    ongoing effort made to control the plants. Exotic plant
15    control must be done by a qualified professional forester
16    or ecological restoration professional;
17        (6) seeding of annual grass to skid trails; or
18        (7) staff salaries, contractor fees, and materials as
19    directly related, documented, and required to address
20    remediation costs under this Section.
 
21    (740 ILCS 185/2.6 new)
22    Sec. 2.6. Remediation plan. The court may order parties
23that seek remediation costs for damage to protected land under
24Section 2.5 to develop a remediation plan pursuant to Section
253.5 of this Act. The remediation plan shall delineate the steps

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 5 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1to address remediation costs identified under Section 2.5 of
2this Act.
 
3    (740 ILCS 185/2.7 new)
4    Sec. 2.7. Trees intentionally cut or knowingly caused to be
5cut or damaged in residential areas. Any party that, without
6the legal right, intentionally cut or severely damaged, or
7knowingly caused to be cut or damaged any live and standing
8tree or woody plant in a residential yard must:
9        (1) pay the owner of the property 2 times the value of
10    the cut or severely damaged tree or woody plant or 2 times
11    the reduced value resulting from light to moderate damage
12    to the tree or woody plant based on value consistent with
13    the current International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
14    Guide for Plant Appraisal. Appraisals utilizing the ISA
15    Guide must be calculated and established by a certified
16    arborist or professional consulting forester, either of
17    which is and has been practicing his or her profession for
18    a minimum of 50% of his or her working hours for the
19    previous 3 years;
20        (2) pay the owner remediation costs to remove all tree
21    or woody plant debris resulting from wrongful cutting or
22    damage; and
23        (3) pay the owner remediation cost to repair
24    landscaping plants, materials, and vegetation if the items
25    were damaged in the process or as a result of wrongful

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 6 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1    cutting or damage.
 
2    (740 ILCS 185/2.8 new)
3    Sec. 2.8. Landowner rights. Nothing in this Act limits the
4rights of landowners provided under other laws.
 
5    (740 ILCS 185/3)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9403)
6    Sec. 3. The courts of this State may order the Director or
7his representative to secure 3 three independent value
8appraisals to determine the stumpage value of wrongfully cut
9timber or trees under Section 2 of this Act. Such order must
10shall state the reason the value information is needed, the
11parties involved in the action, the area to be examined and
12other information needed by the Department to carry out its
13responsibilities. The court must instruct all All parties to
14the court action shall be instructed to make themselves
15available to the Department at reasonable times to assist in
16the location of areas and material to be examined. Unless
17otherwise ordered by the court, the parties shall bear equally
18the cost of expenses Expenses incurred, including but not
19limited to those for surveys, consulting services, attorney's
20fees, and administrative costs, shall be borne equally by the
21parties unless otherwise ordered by the court. The court shall
22allow a plaintiff who prevails to recover the cost of expenses
23incurred.
24(Source: P.A. 84-138.)
 

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 7 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1    (740 ILCS 185/3.5 new)
2    Sec. 3.5. Court-ordered determination of costs. The court,
3upon evaluating whether independent appraisals are necessary
4and appropriate in matters arising under Section 2.5 of this
5Act, may order up to 3 independent appraisals or alternate
6valuation calculations of stumpage and remediation costs, and a
7remediation plan, in conformance with Section 2.6 of this Act.
8The court shall determine which party will bear the expense of
9conducting the appraisals or alternate valuations and
10developing the remediation plan. The court may request that the
11Director or his or representative assist in securing
12independent appraisals and advise the court as to adequacy of
13costs and measures in the remediation plan. The court shall
14allow a plaintiff who prevails to recover the cost of expenses
15incurred.
 
16    (740 ILCS 185/4)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9404)
17    Sec. 4. Within 90 30 days after the Department is ordered
18to establish value appraisals under Section 3, it shall notify
19the court of its findings of value and expenses. The court
20shall then average the appraisals and award triple the average
21value and make final determination as to which party or parties
22shall pay expenses. The failure of any party to make full
23payment within the time limits set by the court or to cooperate
24with the Department shall be considered contempt of court.

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 8 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1(Source: P.A. 84-138.)
 
2    (740 ILCS 185/4.5 new)
3    Sec. 4.5. Department assistance. If the court requests
4assistance from the Department pursuant to Section 3.5 of this
5Act, within 90 days after the Department is provided ordered
6independent appraisals and remediation plans for review, the
7Department shall provide the appraisals or valuations,
8remediation plan, and advice to the court. Otherwise, the
9parties shall directly provide the court with any ordered
10appraisals or valuations and a remediation plan pursuant to
11Section 3.5 of this Act. The court shall then make a final
12determination on the adequacy of the remediation plan and the
13appraised value to address remediation costs under Section 2.5
14of this Act. The court shall award triple the stumpage value
15plus remediation costs and expenses in accordance with any
16approved remediation plan.
 
17    (740 ILCS 185/4.7 new)
18    Sec. 4.7. Use of award. Monetary awards for remediation of
19wrongfully cut trees under Section 2.5 of this Act must be used
20for costs related to remediation, restoration, or enhancement
21of the conservation value of the impacted property for
22protection, restoration, or enhancement.
 
23    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

09900SB3289sam001- 9 -LRB099 19259 HEP 46502 a

1becoming law.".