When government doesn’t follow the laws: We are outraged !!!

News / January 2, 2023

Note: Wine & Water Watch is not against cannabis however, not in neighborhoods and no water resources during a megadrought. Who pays for dried up wells? No more water thirsty crops and our environment MUST BE PROTECTED. 

We are outraged !!!

“Disrespect for public process and neighbors: With complete disregard for expert and legal opinion, factual input, or mitigations recommended by State agencies, the County is rushing to implement a ministerial permit process that failed CEQA environmental adequacy tests.”
If not illegal, certainly immoral! The County’s proposal to fast-track commercial cannabis permits, with inadequate environmental review, on up to 65,000 acres of land puts our properties and public trust resources at risk. Although PRSC’s main mission the past several years has been over-development in the wine industry event centers, and accompanying environmental destruction, the proposed cannabis ordinance carries even more dire consequences for our county and neighborhoods.

PRSC is not against cannabis- but we oppose growing it commercially on our fragile watershed lands or within 300 feet of our homes.

  • Ask: Please take action to support our broad coalition in ensuring cannabis is grown in the right locations and at the right scale in Sonoma County. Hold the Supervisors accountable!
  • In April, the County plans to vote to implement a cannabis ordinance that does not have the required cumulative or project-specific environmental review. Please demand that the County complete the required Environmental Impact Report, and that they then write a Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Ordinance that complies with State law.
  • Strong Legal Challenge: Neighborhood groups did the heavy lifting, and have two substantive Shute, Mihaly, Weinberger LLP letters, with expert testimony, in the record. County permit processes are so out of compliance with State water and environmental law – it will be an easy lawsuit to win – yet, why throw good money after wasted taxpayer dollars?
  • Disrespect for public process and neighbors: With complete disregard for expert and legal opinion, factual input, or mitigations recommended by State agencies, the County is rushing to implement a ministerial permit process that failed CEQA environmental adequacy tests.

We’re Outraged – NOW is the time to take this issue to the “Court of Public Opinion” For the Supervisors to feel the heat: We need NUMBERS!

3 Easy Actions to Take: Learn , Like, Donate
  • Learn: Fact based Website:  https://www.itstoomuchcannabis.com Use the map to determine if your property is at risk! Type in your address – and see how many potential cannabis cultivation sites surround your house. With no public notice, the first you’ll know a cannabis operation is moving next door is when the security fencing, lighting and cameras are installed.
  • Like our “It’s too much cannabis” Pages – Share to Group and personal pages on Facebook or Instagram.
  • Donate: Any and all amounts appreciated – How about investing some of your stimulus check in the future of Sonoma County?

BACKGROUND

Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Fast-track Permitting Process

The Cannabis industry threatened Sonoma and Napa counties with a ballot initiative to take regulation of cannabis away from county officials. Napa responded by commissioning a thorough 9111 Report; and on March 2 nd Napa’s Supervisors, with strong support by the Napa Farm Bureau, vintner, grape grower and hospitality groups, denied cannabis cultivation on their agricultural and watershed lands. 

In contrast, Sonoma County halted work on the State-required Environmental Impact Report and diverted resources to the preparation of a fast-track permitting process with no public notice and little project-specific environmental review for commercial cannabis. 

Public and Agency Input Basically Ignored: To view all of the letters submitted into the Admin record are on county website. And the County wasted our precious time submitting hundreds of questions submitted during Listening Sessions – which the County didn’t even bother to answer before the PC hearing.

Legal Challenge: Shute Mihaly and Weinberger, LLP found that Sonoma County’s proposed cannabis ordinance and its supplemental mitigated negative declaration failed to adequately analyze the environmental consequences of ministerial permitting as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Shute Mihaly and Weinberger LLP filed a 62-page letter, with an extensive list of Exhibits and Attachments, on March 18, 2021. The Letter details the deficiencies in the County’s proposal to expand commercial cannabis cultivation without adequate analyses of the impacts to, among other things, air quality, water supplies, aesthetics, and fire safety/emergency access.
The law firm made two findings:  Sonoma County cannot legally proceed:

  • Proceed without doing a full environmental impact report to identify areas appropriate for cannabis cultivation versus sensitive lands; and
  • Adopt a ministerial process because, per CEQA’s article 19, discretionary decision-making is required. 
Helping is simple- Learn what is at stake and Donate
Learn more: Go to our  Facebook page and like usOur social media numbers are key to changing our county officials minds to reject or rewrite this horrible ordinance. We want cannabis grown in the right place and right scale.