Within the context of the Mendocino County Drought Resilience Plan, it is madness to allow any form of cannabis expansion in 2025
The Mendocino County Drought Resilience Plan finds that:
• 25 out of 27 state small water systems show high physical and/or social vulnerability to drought – which accounts for 93%
• Here is the breakdown of the at-risk systems per district: District 1: 6, District 3: 4, District 4: 3, and District 5: 12
• The County Objectives within this plan are to: “Facilitate increased and structured drought preparedness for domestic wells and State Small Water Systems under its Jurisdiction”
• The County’s Responsibilities within this plan are to: “rely on coordination and collaboration with local entities for meaningful improvements in water resiliency”
• It’s declared that the drought stages and response actions are voluntary cutbacks and temporary ordinances, emergency interim water supplies, and emergency declarations.
The MCDRP study shows that we must urgently conserve and protect our water systems. This means that we cannot allow cannabis farms, which are now doubling in size, to use more water. I challenge the GGC to make the right decision and recommend halting cannabis expansion based on the findings of this in-depth study of the challenges to our water resiliency.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting of February 11, 2025, the Board voted to task the General Government Committee with review of cannabis issues (not clear to me how specific that direction was). While I don't see this issue on the Agenda, I want to express my concern that the Board in general is not aware of the degree of opposition in the community to the incursion of large (more than 6 plants) cannabis grows in amongst residences in Mendocino County. Rather, recent Board actions have curbed the ability of local residents to "just say no" to large grows near or even within a few feet of residences, schools, places of worship, and walking paths (among other sensitive populations). The current cannabis ordinance, flawed though it is, clearly intended to limit grows to 10,000 square feet per parcel; and to grant local residents the right to prevent the establishment and continuance of large, commercial grows and sales in and around residential neighborhoods. The more the Board continues to enable such grows, the angrier we residents will become. Thank you.
Within the context of the Mendocino County Drought Resilience Plan, it is madness to allow any form of cannabis expansion in 2025
The Mendocino County Drought Resilience Plan finds that:
• 25 out of 27 state small water systems show high physical and/or social vulnerability to drought – which accounts for 93%
• Here is the breakdown of the at-risk systems per district: District 1: 6, District 3: 4, District 4: 3, and District 5: 12
• The County Objectives within this plan are to: “Facilitate increased and structured drought preparedness for domestic wells and State Small Water Systems under its Jurisdiction”
• The County’s Responsibilities within this plan are to: “rely on coordination and collaboration with local entities for meaningful improvements in water resiliency”
• It’s declared that the drought stages and response actions are voluntary cutbacks and temporary ordinances, emergency interim water supplies, and emergency declarations.
The MCDRP study shows that we must urgently conserve and protect our water systems. This means that we cannot allow cannabis farms, which are now doubling in size, to use more water. I challenge the GGC to make the right decision and recommend halting cannabis expansion based on the findings of this in-depth study of the challenges to our water resiliency.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting of February 11, 2025, the Board voted to task the General Government Committee with review of cannabis issues (not clear to me how specific that direction was). While I don't see this issue on the Agenda, I want to express my concern that the Board in general is not aware of the degree of opposition in the community to the incursion of large (more than 6 plants) cannabis grows in amongst residences in Mendocino County. Rather, recent Board actions have curbed the ability of local residents to "just say no" to large grows near or even within a few feet of residences, schools, places of worship, and walking paths (among other sensitive populations). The current cannabis ordinance, flawed though it is, clearly intended to limit grows to 10,000 square feet per parcel; and to grant local residents the right to prevent the establishment and continuance of large, commercial grows and sales in and around residential neighborhoods. The more the Board continues to enable such grows, the angrier we residents will become. Thank you.