Return to Search

Qualified Cultivator Funding Opportunity

Grantor:

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Portal ID:

6598

Status:

Active

Opportunity Type:

• Grant

Last Updated:

February 27, 2023, 10:45 am  |  View change notes

Categories:

• Environment & Water

Details

Purpose:

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is seeking high quality grant proposals for eligible applicants to assist qualified cannabis cultivators and enhance CDFW’s mission to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

Description:

Applications may be considered under one or both of the following project priorities.

Project Type - Transition from Provisional License to Annual License: To transition to an annual license, provisional licensees must meet all regulatory requirements in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations, sections 8102, 8105, and 8106. Eligible activities under this project type include, but are not limited to: cleanup, remediation, and restoration, professional services, consulting, and infrastructure related to cleanup, remediation, and restoration. Eligible costs include but are not limited to: compliance costs (except the ineligible costs described above); meeting the avoidance, minimization, or mitigation requirements approved in the project’s CEQA document; or county permitting requirements.

If the applicant is representing a provisional license cultivator, actions outlined must lead to the issuance of an annual license or lead to on-the-ground implementation that will result in the issuance of an annual license from the licensing authority.

Project Type - Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation Practices: Sustainable cannabis cultivation practices should alleviate direct and indirect environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation and enhance environmental stewardship. Activities that may be eligible include but are not limited to: sustainable water consumption, sustainable waste management, integrated pest and disease management, erosion control, and/or riparian protection.

Qualified Cultivator - The following qualified cultivator may be represented by an eligible applicant. The qualified cultivator being represented by the eligible applicant must at a minimum have a valid and active provisional license or annual license issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA; now the Department of Cannabis Control). Bus. & Prof. Code, § 26050.2 et seq.). Priority will be given to qualified cultivators with ownership and/or financial interest in no more than 10,000 square feet of total canopy. However, cultivators with ownership and/or financial interest accumulating between 10,000-20,000 square feet of total canopy may still qualify.

All proposed projects must benefit qualified cultivators as defined below. Qualified cultivation license types are:

Specialty cottage:-“Specialty Cottage Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site with up to 25 mature plants.-“Specialty Cottage Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site with 2,500 square feet or less of total canopy

Specialty:-“Specialty Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site with less than or equal to 5,000 square feet of total canopy, or up to 50 mature plants.-“Specialty Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site between 2,501 and 5,000 square feet of total canopy.

Small:- “Small Outdoor” is an outdoor cultivation site between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet of total canopy.- “Small Mixed-Light Tier 1” only, is a mixed-light cultivation site between 5,001 and 10,000 square feet of total canopy.

“Mixed-light Tier 1” is without the use of artificial light or the use of artificial light at a rate above zero, but no more than six watts per square foot.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

• Nonprofit
• Public Agency
• Tribal Government

The following entity types are eligible to apply (FGC §1501.5(b)): Public agencies within California; Nonprofit organizations qualified to do business in California, qualified under Section 501(c) of Title 26 of the United States Code, and have the capacity to meet the requirements of this Solicitation and the executed grant agreement; and California Native American tribes, as that term is defined in Public Resources Code Section 21073.

Eligible Geographies:

Funds will be available for projects statewide. However, if proposed projects are within a Cannabis Priority Watershed, as defined by the State Water Resources Control Board in coordination with CDFW, and/or identified as a priority stream in the California Water Action Plan, they will receive higher scores during the proposal evaluation process.

Matching Funding Requirement:

Cost share is encouraged not required; however, proposals with higher proportions of secured cost share will receive higher scores during the evaluation process.