Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program

CalRecycle's Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program pays to clean up and prevent illegal dumping on farm and ranch property in California — land zoned or authorized for agricultural or rangeland use, whether or not it is in active production. Farmers and ranchers cannot apply directly: the applicant must be a city, county, Resource Conservation District (RCD) or federally recognized tribe, which applies on behalf of the landowner and runs the cleanup. If you have an illegal dump site on your land, contact your county or local RCD and ask them to apply in the next cycle. Four application cycles run each fiscal year (FY 2026-27 due dates: July 8 and October 7, 2026; January 6 and April 7, 2027), with $797,000 available for FY 2026-27.

Eligible applicants (on the landowner's behalf): cities, counties, Resource Conservation Districts, and federally recognized Native American tribes (PRC §48100(d)(1)).

Eligible sites: the parcel must meet the Farm and Ranch Property definition (14 CCR §17991(d)) — publicly or privately owned land used for rangeland or agricultural activities such as commercial livestock and crop production, horticulture, aquaculture, silviculture, floriculture, vermiculture and viticulture; active sales/production not required but the land must be zoned or authorized for agriculture. The site must be an illegal disposal site needing cleanup to abate a nuisance or public-health/environmental threat; neither the applicant, the property owner, nor anyone they permitted brought the waste onto the property; and the responsible party cannot be identified, located, or made to pay.

Funding (FY 2026-27): $797,000 available statewide; up to $200,000 per grant award and per applicant per fiscal year; up to $50,000 per cleanup site. Eligible costs: administration, disposal/recycling, equipment, materials, site security measures, and personnel time. Final reports and payment requests for FY 2026-27 awards are due April 4, 2029.

The local government or RCD submits the application through CalRecycle's Grants Management System (GMS) by the cycle due date (FY 2026-27: July 8, 2026 · October 7, 2026 · January 6, 2027 · April 7, 2027), with the approved resolution or letter of commitment due about four weeks later. Awards are made roughly three months after each due date. Watch for the Notice of Funds Available on the CalRecycle Funding page or the California Grants Portal. Program questions: FarmAndRanch@calrecycle.ca.gov; GMS help: Grant.Assistance@calrecycle.ca.gov.