In 2018, GreenWave released the Guide to Navigating Lease & Permit Approvals for Ocean Farming in California, outlining how to start a new regenerative ocean farm in California. 

Since then, GreenWave teamed up with The Nature Conservancy–California Oceans Program in 2020 to develop a strategy for ocean farmers to support critical bull kelp restoration needs. As a result, GreenWave deployed the first commercial-scale bull kelp farm in California and developed a diagram and guide to summarize the complex process based on our first-hand experience and assess changes to leasing and permitting procedures since the GreenWave released the original guide in 2018.

The 2024 Guide to Leasing & Permitting for Bull Kelp Farming and Restoration Projects in California Using Suspended Longline Gear includes:

• A diagram that illustrates the complete leasing and permitting process for bull kelp longline cultivation in federal and state waters, and granted tidelands including select ports and harbor districts

• A summary of key elements in the leasing and permitting processes for commercial ocean farms and non-commercial restoration activities in federal waters, state waters, and granted tidelands along the California coast