Occasionally owners need to quantify a casualty loss due to fire, windstorm, insect attack, disease outbreak, timber trespass, or other losses such as taking by adverse possession or eminent domain. If the trees are still standing, the damage is appraised by careful measurement of the trees and applying current stumpage rates.
If the trees have been removed, the damage can be appraised by measuring stumps or, perhaps more accurately, by measuring an area of adjoining timber of equal size and similar character and applying current stumpage rates. Loss of mature timber is normally appraised using a market approach.
