PD article on environmentalists criticizing proposed cannabis rules
Environmentalists say proposed cannabis grow rules fail to protect wildlife
GUY KOVNER, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | August 9, 2017
Four environmental groups have faulted proposed state rules for commercial cannabis cultivation for failing to protect imperiled species, including the reclusive Pacific fisher, from rodent poison frequently used at unregulated grow sites.
The Center for Biological Diversity, a national conservation nonprofit, and three allies filed a 36-page comment alleging numerous shortcomings in the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s draft report on the proposed standards for growing legal marijuana.
In particular, the groups said, the standards fail to protect wildlife — fishers, foxes, eagles, owls, bobcats, raccoons and others — from harm that comes from eating poisons or rodents killed by toxins.
Federal and state regulators, as well as University of California researchers, have documented the impact on wildlife from the rodent poisons dispersed at illegal pot gardens to prevent damage to plants and irrigation lines.
“We can’t allow the expanding pot industry to snuff out imperiled wildlife like Pacific fishers,” said Jonathan Evans, environmental health legal director for the center.
The proposed standards represent “a real lost opportunity” for California to be a national leader in setting appropriate rules for cannabis cultivation, he said.
The state department’s 484-page report asserted that “adverse effects on wildlife due to rodenticide use” are “less than significant” and therefore require no mitigation measures under state environmental law.
The report cited guidance from the state Department of Pesticide Regulation in suggesting that capsicum oleoresin, the active ingredient that makes chili peppers hot, and other nontoxic repellents be used around marijuana plants instead of rodent poison.
But that stops short of a prohibition on the use of poisons that Evans said are readily available at farm, feed and hardware stores.
“The best thing to do is to be explicit about what you are prohibiting,” he said.
Continues here
Re: PD article on environmentalists criticizing proposed cannabis rules
Following is a link to an article in today’s PD about the new Sonoma County Cannabis Advisory Group. Please consider attending this Sept. 27, Wed., 3 p.m. County meeting to consider how to proceed. I am particularly interested in the wealthy, outside Sonoma County cannabis growers, who do not follow the rules that the rest of us have to.
https://www.waccobb.net/forums/wacco...4_15-56-29.png
Sonoma County cannabis advisory group begins setting agenda
Sonoma County’s rules for how and where cannabis businesses can operate were codified earlier this year, but the book on local marijuana regulations is far from finished.
Helping the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adjust its local rules is the main job of a 20-person citizen advisory group chosen from cannabis industry players and other interest groups including real estate, agriculture, public health and neighborhoods.
The panel met for the first time Wednesday to start setting an agenda for issues and recommendations to bring before the board.
“We didn’t get it right, we’re still tweaking it,” Supervisor Susan Gorin said of the county’s cannabis ordinance at the start of the meeting.
...
The group’s next meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Permit and Resource Management Department’s hearing room, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa
Continues here
