MN SF4134

Establishes the "Lorax Act" in Minnesota Statutes chapter 88, creating a no net loss of forest policy prohibiting deforestation of forest land unless replaced with forest land of equal or greater public value under a commissioner-approved plan.

Defines deforest as permanently removing trees from forest land to clear it for an alternate purpose, with replacement required at a ratio of one acre of replacement forest for each acre of deforested forest.

Replacement forest must be sited prioritizing the same minor watershed, then watershed, basin, or another basin as the impacted forest, and must consider groundwater protection, water quality, climate resiliency, carbon sequestration, and forest nonfragmentation.

Requires replacement plans to specify tree species, size, quantity, planting methods, tree care and management practices, location maps, and species appropriate for the biome and climate resiliency as approved by the commissioner.

Exempts forest land deforested as part of a conservation project approved by the commissioner and appropriates unspecified general fund dollars to the Commissioner of Natural Resources for fiscal year 2021 to implement the act.