Timber Harvest Industry. Discharges And Releases Into Watercourses.

TIMBER HARVEST INDUSTRY. DISCHARGES AND RELEASES INTO WATERCOURSES. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Restricts discharge or release of material harmful to fish or water by industrial timber operators on commercial or federal timberland. Permits Attorney General, district attorneys, specified local government officers, or private persons to bring civil enforcement actions in court; remedies for violations include injunctions and fines. Places burden on defendants to prove compliance with applicable law. Imposes reporting duty upon designated government employees and registered foresters who become aware of violations; establishes criminal penalties for nondisclosure. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Unknown reduction in state and local revenues, potentially a few million to over ten million dollars annually, to extent timber harvesting is reduced. Unknown long term impact on state and local revenues due to changes in economic activities. Unknown impact on state costs to implement timber harvest regulations; any costs would be offset by fees