Horizon Water and Environment together with our client, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), won the 2018 Merit Award for Environmental Analysis Document by the California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP).  The award-winning document is the CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Program EIR. CDFA established this licensing program in compliance with recent legislation and voter-approved initiatives to allow medical and adult use of cannabis. Unregulated cannabis cultivation had led to substantial environmental impacts on water supply, water quality, fisheries, timber conversion, public safety, and other concerns. The program establishes a regulatory framework that allows for commercial cultivation to be conducted in a manner that protects the general public, cannabis cultivation workers, and the environment.

The Program EIR prepared by Horizon provides a comprehensive evaluation of CDFA’s proposed regulations and the activities that would occur in compliance with the regulations. Written in clear and understandable language and organized in a clear manner, the Program EIR strikes an appropriate balance between technical rigor and public accessibility. This innovative EIR:

  • Provides an efficient vehicle for minimizing environmental impacts associated with cannabis cultivation.
  • Avoids duplication with other cannabis regulatory programs.
  • Allows flexibility for local jurisdictions.
  • Streamlines future CEQA compliance documents through its tiering strategy.

Horizon is a recognized leader in helping public agencies develop EIRs for regulatory programs that are both technically thorough and clear and understandable for the general public.

 

 

CDFA and Horizon Win 2018 Merit Award for Environmental Analysis Document

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