Any person who violates any provision of sections 23-65f to 23-65o, inclusive, shall be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars, to be fixed by the court, for each offense. Each violation shall be a separate and distinct offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each day’s continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense. The Attorney General, upon complaint of the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, or an inland wetlands agency authorized to regulate forest practices, shall institute a civil action to recover such penalty.