Cannabis cultivators applying for an Annual License(opens in new tab) from the Department of Cannabis Control must have a Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA) Agreement or written verification that one is not needed. CDFW requires an LSA Agreement when a project activity may substantially adversely affect fish and wildlife resources. LSA Agreements provide actions to avoid and minimize adverse impacts and provide protections to California’s fish and wildlife resources.
NEW! Licensing Requirements:
Modifications to the Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) provisional licensing requirements were signed into law in July 2021. A summary of the changes can be found on DCC’s website (PDF). These changes include obtaining appropriate Lake or Streambed Alteration (LSA) documentation and submitting this documentation to DCC for all cultivation license types. The following LSA documents will fulfill requirements for new cultivation license applications or renewal of existing licenses:
New Applications for Provisional Cultivation Licenses
Until June 30, 2023
|
Renewal of Existing Provisional Cultivation Licenses
July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
|
Renewal of Existing Provisional Cultivation Licenses
July 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024
|
Applicant must provide DCC one of the following:
- A final LSA Agreement
- A draft LSA Agreement signed by the applicant and returned to CDFW
- Written Verification that an LSA Agreement is not needed
Written verification that the applicant has done all of the following:
- Submitted the notification required in Fish and Game Code § 1602 and applicable fees; and
- Is responsive to CDFW. An applicant is considered non-responsive if any requested information is not received within 60 days, or the submitted notification has been deemed incomplete a second time.1
|
Licensee must provide DCC one of the following:
- A final LSA Agreement
- A draft LSA Agreement signed by the applicant and returned to CDFW
- Written Verification that an LSA Agreement is not needed
- Written verification that the applicant’s notification is complete
|
Licensee must provide DCC one of the following:
- A final LSA Agreement
- A draft LSA Agreement signed by the applicant and returned to CDFW
- Written Verification that an LSA Agreement is not needed
|
1If an applicant is non-responsive, they must obtain either a signed and returned draft agreement or written verification that an agreement is not needed before DCC can issue the license.
To avoid delays, it is important to provide all required information when first submitting an LSA notification and promptly responding to any incomplete letter requesting additional information.