§ 2622a. Water Quality Assistance Program
(a) Creation of program. There is established the Water Quality Assistance Program under which the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation shall provide technical and financial assistance to timber harvesters and others for compliance with water quality requirements in the State. The Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation shall coordinate with natural resources conservation districts in the implementation of the Program.
(b) Eligible assistance. Under the Program, the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation is authorized to expend monies for the following activities in order to facilitate compliance with water quality requirements:
(1) Award financial assistance in the form of grants to timber harvesters and others to purchase or construct skidder bridges and other equipment.
(2) Purchase premade skidder bridges and other equipment to loan or lease to timber harvesters and others.
(3) Purchase available, premade skidder bridges and other equipment and provide those bridges or equipment to cooperating processing plants for sale to timber harvesters and others at cost, subject to storage and handling fees.
(4) If premade skidder bridges are not available on the commercial market, issue in a calendar year two requests for proposal for the construction of skidder bridges for delivery to cooperating processing plants for sale to timber harvesters and others at cost, subject to storage and handling fees. The Commissioner shall issue one request for proposal for the northern part of the State and one request for proposal for the southern part of the State.
(c) Financial assistance. An applicant for a grant under this section shall pay at least 10 percent of the total cost of the equipment. The dollar amount of a State grant shall be equal to the total cost of the equipment, less 10 percent of the total as paid by the applicant. A grant awarded under this section shall be awarded in accordance with terms and conditions established by the Commissioner.
(d) Spill kit. The Commissioner shall provide a person who purchases, constructs, or loans out a skidder bridge under subsection (b) of this section with a spill kit for containing or absorbing fluids released during timber harvesting activities. (Added 2017, No. 75, § 14, eff. June 12, 2017.)