Sen. Steve Stadelman

Filed: 4/15/2016

 

 


 

 


 
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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 value" means the value of timber as it stands
11uncut in terms of an amount per unit of volume expressed as
12dollar value per board foot for that portion of a tree or
13timber deemed merchantable by Illinois forest products markets
14standing tree.
15    (b) "Department" means the Department of Natural
16Resources.

 

 

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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) owned by a local, State, or federal agency and
15    primarily used for one or more conservation purposes, such
16    as wildlife habitat, erosion control, energy conservation,
17    natural community restoration, general reforestation,
18    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.)
 

 

 

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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, which he or she did not
16have the legal right to so cut or cause to be cut, must pay 3
17times stumpage value plus remediation costs to the party that
18owns an interest in the land, including but not limited to
19holding a conservation right to the land. Remediation costs
20include one or more of the following:
21        (1) cleanup to remove trees, portions of trees, or
22    debris from trees cut, damaged, moved, placed, or left as a
23    result of tree cutting from perennial drainage ways or
24    water holding basins;
25        (2) soil erosion stabilization and remediation for

 

 

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1    issues that were not pre-existing;
2        (3) remediation of damages to the native standing trees
3    and other native woody or herbaceous plant understory;
4        (4) remediation of damages to the native tree
5    understory through coppicing, planting of potted native
6    trees, planting of native tree seedlings as individual
7    practices or in combination as deemed appropriate under
8    Section 3.5 of this Act. Any work under this item (4) must
9    be done by a qualified professional forester or ecological
10    restoration professional;
11        (5) associated exotic invasive plant species control
12    for a period of 3 years with one treatment per year on
13    those portions of the property where trees were wrongfully
14    cut if prior to the encroachment there had been an active
15    and ongoing effort made to control the plants, and due to
16    the disturbance, advantage was given to pre-existing or new
17    exotic invasive plant growth. Exotic plant control must be
18    done by a qualified professional forester or ecological
19    restoration professional;
20        (6) seeding of annual grass to skid trails; or
21        (7) staff salaries, contractor fees, and materials as
22    directly related, documented, and required to address
23    remediation costs under this Section.
 
24    (740 ILCS 185/2.6 new)
25    Sec. 2.6. Remediation plan. The court may order parties

 

 

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

 

 

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1        (3) pay the owner the cost to repair landscaping
2    plants, materials, and vegetation if the items were damaged
3    in the process or as a result of wrongful cutting or
4    damage.
 
5    (740 ILCS 185/2.8 new)
6    Sec. 2.8. Remedies. Nothing in this Act limits the rights
7of a party to pursue causes of action under other laws,
8including any available common law remedies for damages. A
9plaintiff may bring an action and recover damages under any
10applicable Section of this Act; however, if more than one
11Section applies to a given wrongfully cut tree, the plaintiff
12may bring an action and recover damages under only one
13applicable Section of this Act.
 
14    (740 ILCS 185/3)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9403)
15    Sec. 3. The courts of this State may order the Director or
16his representative to secure 3 three independent value
17appraisals to determine the stumpage value of wrongfully cut
18timber or trees under Section 2 of this Act. Such order must
19shall state the reason the value information is needed, the
20parties involved in the action, the area to be examined and
21other information needed by the Department to carry out its
22responsibilities. The court must instruct all All parties to
23the court action shall be instructed to make themselves
24available to the Department at reasonable times to assist in

 

 

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1the location of areas and material to be examined. Unless
2otherwise ordered by the court, the parties shall bear equally
3the cost of expenses Expenses incurred, including but not
4limited to those for surveys, consulting services, attorney's
5fees, and administrative costs, shall be borne equally by the
6parties unless otherwise ordered by the court. The court shall
7allow a plaintiff who prevails to recover the cost of expenses
8incurred.
9(Source: P.A. 84-138.)
 
10    (740 ILCS 185/3.5 new)
11    Sec. 3.5. Court-ordered determination of costs. The court,
12upon evaluating whether independent appraisals are necessary
13and appropriate in matters arising under Section 2.5 of this
14Act, may order up to 3 independent appraisals of stumpage
15value, and further order the development of a plan detailing
16remediation strategies and their estimated cost, in
17conformance with Section 2.6 of this Act. Appraisals of
18stumpage value must be conducted by a professional consulting
19forester, who is and has been practicing his or her profession
20for a minimum of 50% of his or her working hours for the
21previous 3 years. Remediation plans must be prepared in
22consultation with a professional forester or biologist
23experienced in ecosystem restoration following a timber
24harvest, and may be implemented by the landowner or the
25landowner's designee. The court shall determine which party

 

 

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1will bear the expense of conducting the appraisals and
2developing the remediation plan. The court may request that the
3Director or his or her representative assist in securing
4independent appraisals and advise the court as to adequacy of
5costs and measures in the remediation plan. The court shall
6allow a plaintiff who prevails to recover the cost of expenses
7incurred.
 
8    (740 ILCS 185/4)  (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9404)
9    Sec. 4. Within 90 30 days after the Department is ordered
10to establish value appraisals under Section 3, it shall notify
11the court of its findings of value and expenses. The court
12shall then average the appraisals and award triple the average
13value and make final determination as to which party or parties
14shall pay expenses. The failure of any party to make full
15payment within the time limits set by the court or to cooperate
16with the Department shall be considered contempt of court.
17(Source: P.A. 84-138.)
 
18    (740 ILCS 185/4.5 new)
19    Sec. 4.5. Department assistance. If the court requests
20assistance from the Department pursuant to Section 3.5 of this
21Act, within 90 days after the Department is provided
22independent appraisals and remediation plans for review, the
23Department shall provide the appraisals or valuations,
24remediation plan, and advice to the court. Otherwise, the

 

 

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1parties shall directly provide the court with any ordered
2appraisals or valuations and a remediation plan pursuant to
3Section 3.5 of this Act. The court shall then make a final
4determination on the adequacy of the remediation plan and the
5appraised value to address remediation costs under Section 2.5
6of this Act. The court shall award triple the stumpage value
7plus remediation costs and expenses in accordance with any
8approved remediation plan.
 
9    (740 ILCS 185/4.7 new)
10    Sec. 4.7. Use of award. Monetary awards for remediation
11costs of wrongfully cut trees under Section 2.5 of this Act
12must be used for costs related to remediation, restoration, or
13enhancement of the conservation value of the impacted property
14for protection, restoration, or enhancement. This Section does
15not apply to the use of awards for the stumpage value of trees
16wrongfully cut.
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18becoming law.".