May 17, 2016 (Mariposa) - The Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) is accepting applications from private land owners who want reimbursement for cleaning up waste dumped illegally on their property. CalRecycle, a state agency responsible for solid waste issues, has a Farm and Ranch Illegal Dumping Cleanup grant program available to residents through authorized organizations like the Resource Conservation Districts. The grant is non-competitive, which means if you complete the application and cleanup work according to the guidelines, CalRecycle will issue reimbursement for cleanup and site restoration costs. Currently, MCRCD is collecting information from interested property owners and will be submitting a grant application in July 2016.
The program applies to private land that is zoned for agricultural use, even if it is not being used as a working farm or ranch. The waste must have been put there by someone else – not the property owner - without permission. CalRecycle requires a notarized affidavit form signed by the owner of the property certifying that the waste was illegally dumped and will not reimburse for regular cleanup of a private property dump pile.
To participate, call MCRCD to start an application over the phone. The next step is to submit photos, a description of the type and amount of illegal waste, the notarized affidavit, and a budget or cost estimate. Once approved, cleanup can then be performed by a contractor or property owner. After the site has been cleaned, receipts from the contractor or dump/recycling facility, along with after photos of the site complete the grant package. MCRCD will submit to CalRecycle and request reimbursement for the property owner.
Because the grant applies to public rangelands, MCRCD will also be working with the Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests to clean up public sites throughout Mariposa County. If you’d like to let us know about an illegal dumpsite on public land, we will try to include it in the program. To begin the application process and get more information, including a sample affidavit and names of licensed contractors who are familiar with the forms and processes, please contact MCRCD at (209) 966-3431 x103 or MariposaCountyRCD@gmail.com. Visit the MCRCD website at http://www.mcrcd.net or find us on Facebook.
The mission of the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District is to encourage and facilitate cooperative solutions to local resources conservation issues and problems. We provide technical, financial and educational resources, whatever their source, to meet the needs of the local land-users.
Source: MCRCD
