The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Sept. 11, 2024, the selection of a project that will assist more than 200 Mendocino County cannabis cultivators meet requirements to transition from provisional to annual licensure. The $3.1 million award was made to the Rural Resilience Project (RRP) under the CDFW Cannabis Restoration Grant Program's (CRGP) Qualified Cultivator Funding Opportunity.
RRP will provide services to cultivators who have ownership or financial interest in less than 20,000 square feet of canopy and are actively and diligently working to comply with and complete Mendocino County and Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) annual licensure requirements. Specifically, RRP will provide services to help cultivators identify and avoid impacts to sensitive species and natural communities as required under Mendocino County ordinances and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
RRP will conduct outreach to identify and prioritize cultivators who may need technical assistance with biological surveys, species-specific surveys, mitigation measures, water conservation, engineering, and other professional environmental services required to transition provisionally licensed cultivators to annual licensure before the provisional license sunset date of Dec. 31, 2025.
DCC is preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the Licensing of Commercial Cannabis Cultivation in Mendocino County Project, which specifies cultivator compliance requirements and identifies potential environmental impacts cannabis cultivators must address. DCC's certification of the final Environmental Impact Report is anticipated this fall; the report will assist RRP in its cultivator selection strategy.
If you are a Mendocino County cultivator in need of RRP's services and believe you may meet the qualifications, visit the RRP Eligibility Assessment Form(opens in new tab) to submit your information for consideration. In addition to the technical services offered through this grant, RRP will provide a series of in-person workshops and online webinars in both English and Spanish and other languages dependent on the access needs of attendees. An informational webinar is anticipated as early as September 2024. Specific dates and locations will be posted on the Rural Resilience Project(opens in new tab) website and advertised by the Mendocino County Cannabis Department and the Mendocino County Cannabis Alliance.
CDFW grant funding is available only for costs incurred by the grantee during the grant period. Awarding of this funding does not exempt cultivators from resolving any compliance deficiencies, if applicable. CRGP funding is provided by the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 34019(f)(2).