Policy

Fallowing Submission Window Closes Dec 31

Fallowing 2024

Per the MCD website;

Fallowing applications will be accepted starting December 1st to December 31st. 

Applicants who want to fallow all or part of their canopy size in 2024 MUST: 

• Submit Fallowing application 
• Fallowing site plan
• Email Both items above in a single email to mcdpod@mendocinocounty.gov

DON’T FORGET

Between January 1 and February 1 of the next calendar year (2025), an applicant will need to file an Affidavit of Fallowing.

NOTE: Nurseries Cannot be fallowed

*** If you are even remotely considering fallowing next year, we strongly recommend submitting the paperwork this month during the submission window and then withdrawing later.  There is no penalty for withdrawing, you will just owe the taxes. But there is no other opportunity to choose to fallow for next year after December 31.

ATTN: 2023 Fallowing Applicants

If you filed to fallow for 2023;

It is now time to prepare your fallowing application by  completing the Affidavit of Fallowing for submission between January 1st and 31st 2024.

Affidavit of Fallowing must be emailed to: mcdpod@mendocinocounty.gov

^{Do not forget to include:}

• Affidavit of Fallowing
• Fallowing site plan

The 2023 affidavit of fallowing will be accepted January 1st – January 31st, 2024. ( no sooner or later )

Incomplete Affidavit of Fallowing submissions will not be accepted.

Completed 2023 fallowing applications will be processed in February 2024. Once processing is complete, MCD staff will notify applicants as well as the Treasurer Tax Collector as to the tax status of all CCBLs with completed fallowing applications.

MCA Memos for 12-05 BoS Meeting

In advance of the Board of Supervisors Meeting on December 5, 2023, MCA has prepared  memos on the following items:

• Item 4A –  (CLICK HERE for Agenda Materials)
• Item 3T –  (CLICK HERE for Agenda Materials)

CLICK BELOW FOR MCA MEMOS

12-05-2023 MCA Memo BoS Item 4a Master Fee Schedule Changes1.pdf

12-05-2023 MCA Memo BoS Item 3t Removal of Director of Cannabis Program Position1.pdf

MCA Memos for 10-30 GGC Meeting

MCA Memo & Recommendations for 10-17 Supervisors Meeting

In advance of the Board of Supervisors Meeting on October 17, MCA has prepared and submitted a memo on the following item:

• Item 4e – Amending Cannabis Prohibition & Accommodation Zones (CLICK HERE for Agenda Materials)

CLICK HERE FOR MCA MEMO

We also want to draw your attention to the following item:

• Item 3q – “Adoption of Resolution Waiving Building Permit Violation/Penalty Fees for Eligible Amnesty Building Permits for the Period of November 1, 2023 to November 1, 2024.” (CLICK HERE for Agenda Materials)

From the Materials:

The Amnesty Program provides for all investigative and penalty fees to be waived.*

Self-report unpermitted residential or commercial buildings (i.e. home, garage, carport, green house, hoop house, barn, storage building etc.) and obtain permits from the County of Mendocino Department of Planning and Building Services and have the investigative and penalty fees waived. Permit cost will only be for staff time to review and issue the permit as well as current construction costs. Please note that fire district approval, as well as water and septic approval may still be required for permit issuance. The Assessor’s Office will assess structures, gener- ating revenue benefiting the County, Cities, Local Schools, and Special Districts.

*Amnesty does not apply to any structure that has already received a “Red Tag”, Confirmed Complaint, or Notice of Violation from Code Enforcement.

We fully support the adoption of this program, which is on the Consent Calendar (a section of the Board agenda which usually passes with little or no opposition).

If you would like to attend the BoS meeting in person, it begins at 9AM. The address is 501 Low Gap Rd., Ukiah, CA, 95482. Items are usually heard in the order listed in the agenda, but not always.

To make a verbal comment there are two options:

Option #1 – ZOOM during the BoS Meeting

Board Meetings Begin at 9AM. Use the “raise hand” feature when Public Comment is called for each relevant item.

CLICK HERE to Join Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar ID: 862 2681 5291 

Zoom Phone Number (if joining via telephone): 1 669 900 9128

Option #2-Voicemail

Voicemail comments will not be played back during Open Session, but are immediately available to the full Board of Supervisors upon submittal

LEAVE 1 MESSAGE PER AGENDA ITEM.

1. Call (707) 234-6333 to leave a voice message, up to 2 minutes
2. Leave your full name and the agenda item upon which you are making a comment.

Please also feel free to email your District Supervisor, or all Supervisors, with your comments!

(Be sure to include the items that you’re writing about in your Email Subject)

District 1 – Glenn McGourty mcgourtyg@mendocinocounty.org

District 2 – Mo Mulheren mulherenm@mendocinocounty.org

District 3 – John Haschak haschakj@mendocinocounty.org

District 4 – Dan Gjerde gjerde@mendocinocounty.org

District 5 – Ted Williams williamst@mendocinocounty.org

All Supervisors: bos@mendocinocounty.org

Every voice raised makes a difference. 

MCA Memo and Video Link for 10-10 GGC Meeting

There was a General Government Committee meeting on Tuesday October 10 to discuss potential ordinance revisions.

CLICK HERE to see the MCA memo, which seeks refinement and clarification on some of the items included, and questions about items from MCA’s recommendations that were not included.

You can also CLICK HERE to see the County’s proposed revisions to the ordinance.

CLICK HERE to watch the video of the meeting.

MCA Memos for 09-25-2023 GGC Meeting

Urgent Call to Action – Ask Gov. Newsom to Veto AB1207

CANNABIS COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION

AB-1207 passed the legislature on Thursday , and is before the Governor to sign or VETO.

WE NEED ALL CANNABIS BUSINESSES & CONSUMERS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO SUBMIT A LETTER TODAY, URGING THE GOVERNOR TO  VET0 AB-1207

AB-1207 Would BAN the USE of ALL IMAGES of HUMAN, FRUITS & VEGETABLES from ALL LABELING, PACKAGING, MARKETING & ADVERTISING for ALL CANNABIS PRODUCTS
Featured in our veto campaign is the #BraveHearted Monique Ramirez and her family’s licensed heritage homestead cannabis farm Sunbright Gardens where Mo and her partner Gus grow 1/16 of an acre of #CraftCannabis. Mo is a #LocallyVerified #CannabisSocialEquity entrepreneur. Mo’s family, and our entire legacy farming community would be devastated by this law!

Mo & Gus’s homegrown brand, their logo and all of their beautiful marketing collateral, that they visioned and developed over the past decade would be illegal. Pictures of their family, fruits and vegetables growing in their garden would be prohibited in law from being posted on their farm’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linked-IN or use in Print Ads, Brochures, Flyers – EVERY SINGLE BRANDING AND MARKETING TOOL WE HAVE as farmers would be deeply compromised, leaving the #CaliforniaCraftCannabis sector in ruins.
TAKE 2 MINUTES to Sign & Submit our Template Veto Letter via our email campaign

https://modernaction.io/email_petition/veto-ab-1207

or write your own letter and email it to: leg.unit@gov.ca.gov

CLICK HERE to Read the OC Regional Council’s AB-1207 Request to Veto Letter to Governor Newsom 

CLICK HERE for imagery to use on Instagram/FB

PLEASE SHARE THIS MESSAGE WIDELY – WE NEED 200 LETTERS IN BY MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY

EIR Scoping Comments Due Aug 31

The EIR will programmatically evaluate the environmental impacts of the DCC’s annual licensing of commercial cannabis cultivation operations in the county as well as the environmental impacts of future licensed commercial cannabis cultivation operations.

Potential issues and impacts to the existing environment to be analyzed in the Draft EIR include the following environmental topics:

• Aesthetics
• Agriculture and Forestry Resources
• Air Quality
• Biological Resources
• Cultural Resources
• Energy
• Geology and Soils
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Hazards and Hazardous Materials
• Hydrology and Water Quality
• Land Use and Planning
• Mineral Resources
• Noise
• Population and Housing
• Public Services
• Recreation
• Transportation
• Tribal and Cultural Resources
• Utilities and Service Systems
• Wildfire

For more details review the following documents:

Notice of Preparation

Letter from DCC

Submit comments in writing by mail or email by August 31:

• By mail: DCC Legal Affairs Division, 2920 Kilgore Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 
• By email: publiccomment@cannabis.ca.gov

Sept 5 Cannabis Advisory Sub-Committee Meeting re: Appellations

Cannabis Advisory Committee – Cultivation Subcommittee

Tuesday, September 5, 2023 – 1:00 pm.

Notice to the Public

The Cannabis Advisory Committee’s (CAC) Cultivation Subcommittee will hold a meeting on September 5, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. CAC subcommittee meetings are live-streamed and open to the public. No registration is required.

To view or participate in the meeting, you may attend in person at: Department of Cannabis Control Headquarters 2920 Kilgore Road Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

You may also join by computer or phone at the meeting time:

• To join by computer (WebEx Event): CLICK HERE

o Webinar 2530 899 6186

o Password: CultivationPblc

• To join by phone, call 1-844-621-3956, Password: 28584829
• CLICK HERE to view instructions for connecting to the meeting.

• CLICK HERE for Cultivation Subcommittee meeting materials
• CLICK HERE for September Agenda

Meeting Agenda Topics:

1. Call to order and roll call Public Comment for Items Not on the Agenda

2. Public comment for items not on the agenda Items for Discussion and Possible Recommendation

3. Appellations of Origin labeling requirements DCC is requesting feedback from the subcommittee on two specific elements of the Appellations of Origin Program labeling requirements. The subcommittee will discuss, and may make recommendations to DCC on, the following questions:

• How should an appellation be indicated on the labeling and advertising of cannabis goods? Options may include specific terms, such as requiring “appellation” after the appellation name, or requiring a seal or logo.

• What is an appropriate transition time for businesses who do not meet the appellation of origin requirements to cease using the term in labeling and advertising?

• What other regulatory steps, if any, should DCC consider to strengthen appellation-of-origin requirements in the context of packaging and labeling?

Background: The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is responsible for implementing an Appellation of Origin Program for cannabis and cannabis products. CDFA has promulgated regulations that describe how cannabis businesses can request that CDFA establish an appellation of origin. As the oversight authority for the packaging and labeling of cannabis and cannabis products, DCC will establish regulations on how appellations can be used in the context of packaging and labeling.

4. Any requests for future agenda items (Discussion only)

5. Adjournment

Public Participation in the Meeting:

The public can play an active role in the conversation about state cannabis standards and regulations by attending or viewing the CAC meeting and offering input during public comment periods.

The public can also submit comments before the meeting by emailing CAC@cannabis.ca.gov.

Public comment periods will be held where noted on the agenda and after each agenda item. Remarks must address the specific agenda item for which a public comment period is being held. The amount of time allocated for each comment may be limited. Meeting Accessibility DCC is committed to ensuring that our services, programs and meetings are accessible to all, including people with disabilities. The meeting will include closed captioning.

MCA Memos for 08-28 GGC Meeting