Pennsylvania Forest Harvester Fined for Failure to Obtain Approved Erosion and Sediment Control Plans in Cecil County

BALTIMORE, MD ( June 8, 2011) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Stephen Hoffman, 54, of Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pennsylvania, was found guilty in the District Court of Maryland for Cecil County of illegally performing forest harvest operations on three Cecil County properties without obtaining approved erosion and sediment control plans.  The offenses are misdemeanors in violation of the State’s sediment control laws.  The finding resulted from Hoffman failing to submit to the County the required plans for approval prior to conducting logging at 503 Baron Road, North East, Maryland; 481 Baron Road, North East, Maryland; and an adjacent CSX owned property.

Judge Bonnie G. Schneider granted the Defendant probation before judgment in each of the three cases and imposed fines totaling $7,500. 

The case disposition follows an investigation conducted by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General with the assistance of the Water Management Administration of the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Cecil County Department of Public Works, and the Cecil Soil Conservation District.