California Offering New Cannabis Grant to Assist Environmental Restoration

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) last week called for concept proposals from cannabis cultivators for its upcoming Cannabis Restoration Grant Program (CRGP). The agency said in a press release the grant program will help cover costly remediation projects addressing “environmental damage in watersheds affected by cannabis cultivation and related activities.”

CDFW will be accepting proposal solicitations from fall 2021 through spring of 2023. The application process is split into three steps: consultation, pre-application, and full application. Consultation is optional, according to the release, but will afford prospective applicants the chance to discuss their proposal’s applicability and eligibility with CDFW staff.

“We expect our new qualified cultivator program will help with remediation projects that may be unaffordable for many smaller cultivators, and also promote environmentally sustainable practices. We hope this support will help cultivators progress from provisional to annual license status.” — Jeremy Valverde, CDFW’s Cannabis Program Director, in a statement