Road Improvement Program

Through the Commercial Cannabis Land Use Ordinance (CCLUO) Mitigation and Remediation Fund the county is now accepting applications for a grant program to assist cannabis farmers with road improvements that improve water quality. The initial funding for the 2021 round of the five year program is $1,100,000.  The  Mitigation and Remediation Program Guidelines are located in the Resources links to the left side on this webpage.  Applications for this first year will be accepted through October 31, 2021.

Program Description

This  program  seeks to improve water quality in watersheds impacted by cannabis cultivation.  Funding from fines and penalties of cannabis civil enforcement actions will be used for sediment reduction on public and private roads for the specific purpose of protecting and enhancing water quality in streams, creeks, and rivers. 

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants who are not in the abatement process and are eligible to apply for improvements to private roads. 

Application Eligibility & Priority

The Program prioritizes awards of grant money to cannabis cultivators and road maintenance associations based upon the expected water quality benefits that would result from the road improvement projects.  Highest priority will be given to projects with one or more stream crossings, corrective grading within and close to a stream channel, as well as those that are in identified critical watersheds.  A map showing  refuge and critical watersheds can be found in the Resources links to the left side on this webpage.  Projects where the roads are not in a Road Maintenance Association will also receive high priority. Other criteria for evaluating grant proposals include roads in areas with highly erodible soils, steep slopes, in close proximity to watercourses, and the presence of impacted fisheries. 

Application Process and Deadlines

Applications are available now and the county will be taking proposals until Friday October 31, 2021 at 5:00 pm.  Application Guidelines are located also located in the Resources links to the left side on this webpage.

Once received the applications will be evaluated for completeness using a checklist, and complete applications will be referred to the Department of Public Works, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board for comment. There will be opportunity in this stage of review for the proposals to be modified based on comments from the reviewing agencies to make these more competitive by improving their effectiveness in providing water quality benefits.

Recommended projects will be taken to the Board of Supervisors in February for review and selection.