I am opposed to the expansion of the Pasta Farms cannabis grow. I'm opposed to their plan to remove 362 healthy oak trees and draw an additional 35 million gallons of water. This is a significant fire hazard. The use of so much water, esp as we are entering fire season, is unconscionable. Since oak trees are a hard wood, they do not burn as easily as soft wood or ground brush. This provides some safety. Also, havng healthy trees also prevents ground erosion, which also contributes to the devastation to properities.

I oppose the expansion of Pasta Farms Marijuana grow. The drain of the water aquifer is real! They are not responsibly using water. They use what they want in the for profit Marijuana growing. All the neighbors are impacted by water loss, noise, traffic, questionable people. This farm is big enough. None of the neighbors wanted it there in the first place. This kind of Agri-biz monoculture destroys natural environments and we see this more and more all over the U.S. and world. NO EXPANSION. Thank you.

I first moved to Seigler Springs area over 30 years ago. I am asking you to please VOTE NO on this proposal. Please protect our water.

I oppose the major use permit in question. The fragile eco-system and water table increasingly feels like its at a tipping point and the expansion of an already massive cannabis grow is untenable.

I oppose the proposal to expand the Pasta cannibis farm, which requires significant use of water and the removal of over 300 mature oak trees. This area supports many different species with shelter, food, and water sustained by the oak forest. This beautiful peaceful area should not become overwhelmed by a very large cannibis farm. It would destroy the natural beauty of the enviroment that took hundereds of years to manifest. .

I strongly oppose this operation in my neighborhood. The destruction to the native growth and the colossal use of water will impact all of us who live in this area.

Cannabis grow operations are not agricultural development that might be consistent with other land use in the area. Instead, grow operations are industrial production facilities that create noise and light pollution that disrupt the otherwise rural neighborhood, and depend on water extraction that threatens to deplete underground aquifers and the future sustainability of the land and natural environment.

I am a Seigler Springs area resident and strongly OPPOSE this permit application, primarily because of the water issue. The amount of water consumed in this proposed expanded cannabis grow is colossal, and the subsequent reduction in the water table would affect all of us in this area. Please consider making a judgment in this matter which prioritizes the peacefulness of Lake County, the health and abundance of our great oak trees and overall environmental quality. Thank you

I strongly oppose the use permit application for the Pasta Farm LLC . It will permanently destroy valuable oak trees and deplete water resources. Please consider the protection of oak trees and the sustainability use of water .

RE: Agenda Item 6.12 - Strong Objection to Pasta Farms Cannabis Expansion Project

As a local resident, I am writing to submit my formal objection to the proposed expansion of the Pasta Farms Facility. The environmental documentation provided for this project contains critical flaws regarding groundwater sustainability and ecological preservation that must be addressed under CEQA before any approvals are considered.

UNSUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER DEPLETION AND INVALID TESTING

Exceeded Recharge Rates: Monitoring data from June to December 2024 proves that pumping at Wells 1 and 2 already exceeds the local recharge rate. By mid-December, well water levels only recovered approximately 50% of the seasonal drawdown.

Gross Overestimation: The January 2025 Water Availability Analysis claims a recharge rate equivalent to 46% of annual rainfall. Independent analysis indicates this is a gross overestimate, tracking roughly ten times higher than what actually occurs.

Flawed Testing Methodology: The developer's long-term sustainability claims rely on a 4-hour test of Well 1 and a 2-hour test of Well 2. Short-term testing is entirely invalid for predicting long-term yields in fractured volcanic rock aquifers, which notoriously decline over time.

Mandatory SB 610 Requirement: Because the project site spans 602.5 acres and proposes a 30.1-acre cannabis canopy, the County must legally require a formal SB 610 Water Supply Assessment before moving forward.

PERMANENT DESTRUCTION OF NATIVE OAK WOODLAND

Irreplaceable Canopy Loss: The project proposes the removal of 362 native California Black Oaks, including over 300 trees exceeding 8 inches dbh and a heritage-sized tree exceeding 34 inches.

Insufficient Mitigation: The developer's proposal to plant saplings or acorns cannot mitigate the immediate destruction of a centuries-old forest habitat. A California Black Oak requires 45 to 50 years just to reach an 8-inch diameter, and up to 200 years to reach heritage size.

Loss of Ecosystem Services: Terminating these historic trees permanently eliminates critical wildlife habitat, compromises local soil stability, and strips the neighborhood of vital carbon sequestration.

CONCLUSION AND FORMAL REQUEST
Under CEQA, Lake County holds the explicit authority to protect local resources. I urge the Board of Supervisors to deny this expansion project until the applicant conducts rigorous, long-term, site-specific well testing and demonstrates a truly viable water supply that presents less-than-significant impacts to our neighborhood's groundwater table and surrounding ecosystem.

I oppose the use permit application for the Pasta Form LLC expansion because the growing of more marijuana will deplete our water resources and destroy valuable oak trees without providing value for the community living in this area. I hope the board of supervisors have learned from our past mistakes of habitat destruction and water overuse and will find a solution that is sustainable and protects what is most precious and puts the local community first.

Please recognize the seriousness of this venture by Pasta Farms, as it permanently alters the future of the land. Approval would, over time, devastate the natural resources of this special rural area. Water usage would be significant. Oak trees will suffer. Cannabis is not a significant enough crop, is not a necessary crop, and the cost to the land far exceeds the potential benefit that so much cannabis could have. Strictly for profit is not a sufficient rationale to move forward on this. There is enough cannabis being farmed already in this and other areas. Please honor and protect the land now and into the long-term future. Thank you

I am a resident of Seigler Springs and oppose this expansion of an already very large commercial cannabis grow. I have already suffered the loss of my home burning down during the Valley fire essentially because the water dried up so residence were unable to protect their own homes. Water is limited and the Valley Fire proved that fact. Cannabis takes a lot of water to grow and between the vineyards and cannabis farms already proliferating the area it is just more and more demand in the fragile water table and ecosystem. To draw on millions of more gallons just to increase a bit of profit in an already large grow that uses security gates, large trucks, strong smell, and a huge infrastructure does not feel right to this moment the natural environment is dealing with in high fire risk, ongoing drought, and extreme dry conditions. Please take this into account in todays hearing. Thank you.

I am writing to oppose this land use permit application, specifically due to the removal of so many oak trees and the increased water usage in an already stressed ecosystem. Thank you for taking into account the long-term impact on the whole system of this invaluable natural environment, including the local residents.

I vehemently OPPOSE the use permit application for the Pasta Farm LLC expansion because the quality of life in the area has already been significantly impacted by the facility that operates currently with increased traffic congestion, increased dust, chemical usage, industrial noise, increased strain on our limited natural resources, habitat destruction and wildfire risk. Pasta Farms further expansion ensures that an area of natural beauty declines from the effects of a commercial operation that benefits private economic growth but ignores the needs of the surrounding community despite the calculating financial contributions made by this facility to garner favor. The proposed destruction of heritage oak and mature trees is alarming and unacceptable. Trees provide essential habitat sustainability and environmental infrastructure and should not be killed so that a cannabis farm can flourish. I implore the Lake County Board of Supervisors to deny this appeal made by this organization.

I am a resident of Seigler Springs and I oppose expansion of an already very large commercial cannabis grow. Cannabis takes a lot of water to grow and between the vineyards and cannabis farms already proliferating the area it is just more and more demand in the fragile water table and ecosystem. To draw on millions of more gallons just to increase a bit of profit in an already large grow that uses security gates, large trucks, strong smell, and a huge infrastructure does not feel right to this moment the natural environment is dealing with in high fire risk, ongoing drought, and extreme dry conditions. And in such a quiet rural area. It’s basically doing what the data centers are trying to do - use all the natural resources just for a bit of tax revenue. It feels like an imbalanced system. Also, to remove hundreds of mature oak trees in the process just makes it that much worse. Let Lake County wildlands and wildlife be. Please stop destroying the earth in this little corner with pesticides and ripping up trees and siphoning all the water for a product there is already mass supply of.

Another big business that does care about locals and their environment.

I OPPOSE the use permit application for the Pasta Farm LLC expansion because the Seigler Springs area and its wildlife ecosystems cannot afford the loss of another 362 mature oak trees. These trees are integral to the environmental health of this area and represent our first line of defense in the decades of climate change ahead.

Additionally, the drain on human residents’ water systems that this proposed increase in commercial water usage represents is not sustainable. We have already experienced private water usage loss from the commercial interests of the vineyards. Please do not repeat this error.

Please preserve the ecosystems of Siegler Springs for its human residents and the wildlife that takes refuge here. As we have seen after decades of drought and wildfire, it is a fragile system and in need of your protection. Thank you.

I oppose the use permit application for Pasta Farms LLC expansion because of the environmental impact of removing so many healthy oak trees, and the effect on the local community of drawing millions of gallons of water. Thank you for protecting us and denying this expansion permit application.

Regarding Agenda Item 6.12, I respectfully ask the Board to carefully consider the long-term value of retaining healthy trees, particularly our native oak woodlands, whenever possible. Healthy trees are one of Lake County's greatest natural assets. They provide wildlife habitat, stabilize soils, improve water quality, reduce erosion, capture and store carbon, improve air quality, provide shade, and help moderate temperatures. They also contribute to the scenic beauty and rural character that make Lake County such a special place to live and visit. Cannabis can be cultivated successfully without removing healthy mature trees. Site design, alternative cultivation locations, and thoughtful project planning can often reduce or avoid the need to remove significant trees, especially native oaks that may have taken decades—or even centuries—to reach maturity. While mitigation planting has an important role, newly planted trees cannot immediately replace the ecological functions of mature trees. It can take many decades before replacement trees provide comparable carbon storage, wildlife habitat, shade, and other ecosystem benefits. During that time, the loss of carbon sequestration and habitat is real and cannot simply be offset overnight.
As Lake County continues to experience the effects of climate change, extreme heat, drought, and increasing wildfire challenges, protecting existing healthy trees is one of the most effective investments we can make for the health of our communities, our wildlife, and future generations. I respectfully encourage the Board to make avoidance of healthy tree removal the highest priority whenever feasible and to require tree removal only when there is no practical alternative. Preserving mature trees today is an investment that will benefit Lake County for decades to come. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.