SB1784 Summary

• Amends the Wrongful Tree Cutting Act to define "protected land" as land subject to conservation rights, registered as nature preserves, owned by conservation land trusts, or owned by public agencies for conservation purposes.

• Requires parties who intentionally cut or knowingly cause cutting of standing timber on protected land without legal right to pay 3 times the stumpage value plus remediation costs to the landowner or conservation rights holder.

• Defines remediation costs to include cleanup of debris, soil erosion stabilization, restoration of native plants, exotic invasive plant control for 3 years, and related professional fees and materials.

• Allows courts to order independent appraisals of stumpage value and development of remediation plans by qualified professionals, with the prevailing plaintiff recovering costs of expenses incurred.

• Specifies that monetary awards for remediation costs must be used for restoration or enhancement of the impacted property's conservation value, and takes effect immediately upon enactment.