Montana § 75-7-123 - Penalties -- Restoration

§ 75-7-123. Penalties -- Restoration

Penalties -- restoration. (1) A person who initiates a project without written consent of the supervisors, performs activities outside the scope of written consent of the supervisors, violates emergency procedures provided for in 75-7-113 , or violates 75-7-106 is: (a) guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500; or (b) subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for each day that person continues to be in violation. (2) Each day of a continuing violation constitutes a separate violation. The maximum civil penalty is the jurisdictional amount for purposes of 3-10-301 . A conservation district may work with a person who is subject to a civil penalty to resolve the amount of the penalty prior to initiating an enforcement action in justice's court to collect a civil penalty. (3) In addition to a fine or a civil penalty under subsection (1), the person: (a) shall restore, at the discretion of the court, the damaged stream, as recommended by the supervisors, to as near its prior condition as possible; or (b) is civilly liable for the amount necessary to restore the stream. The amount of the liability may be collected in an action instituted pursuant to 3-10-301 if the amount of liability does not exceed $15,000. If the amount of liability for restoration exceeds $15,000, then the action must be brought in district court. (4) Money recovered by a conservation district or a county attorney, whether as a fine or a civil penalty, must be deposited in the depository of district funds provided for in 76-15-523 , unless upon order of a justice's court the money is directed to be deposited pursuant to 3-10-601 .