The State Water Board has issued fines to a group of developers accused of illegal earthmoving operations on Trinity County land that was then sold to cannabis cultivators. The board says the grading and roadmaking work was done without acquiring the necessary permits, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and runoff issues that threatened fish habitat by washing sediment into the the Indian Creek Watershed, which feeds the Middle Fork Trinity River. A $325,000 fine has been agreed to by Clay Tucker, Barney Brenner, Rincon Land Holdings and Independence Corporate Offices Incorporated. They apparently bought the land, graded a series of roads and pads, and sold the land to cannabis cultivators. In addition to the fine against the developers, the new landowners are responsible for a cleanup and abatement order which, if not corrected, will lead to more large fines.