Pubdate: Sat, 04 Aug 2001
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2001 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Gretchen Hoffman
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)

THE HIGH COST OF GETTING HIGH: CLEAR-CUT FOREST

Forest Officials Destroy More Than $16 Million Worth Of Plants Covering 30 
Acres Of Endangered Species Habitat.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Marijuana plants with a street value of more 
than $16 million were destroyed after forest officials found 30 acres of 
the plants growing in an area rich in plant and animal life.

The area, which is off the Angeles Crest Highway northeast of La Canada 
Flintridge in the San Gabriel Wilderness, is a riparian habitat home to a 
wide variety of plant and animal species, said Randi Jorgensen, forest 
spokeswoman.

The plants were discovered in routine flyovers of the land July 13 and July 
27. Workers removed more than 6,000 plants from two repository gardens, 
Jorgensen said. In addition to breaking the law, whoever planted the area 
created conditions that pose a serious threat to the flora and fauna in the 
wildlife area.

In the process of clearing out the marijuana plants, workers also had to 
clear-cut every bush, tree and shrub in the area. "They had to take every 
plant down to mineral soil," Jorgensen said.

Forest officials also removed a significant amount of pesticide, rodent 
poisons, herbicides and fertilizer from the riparian area -- an area that 
feeds into a stream bottom. Workers found one bottle of pure concentrate 
that could be diluted to make 200 gallons of extremely powerful pesticide.

"It is a prime habitat for a number of animals in the forest," Jorgensen 
said. In addition to the mountain yellow-legged frog, which has been 
proposed as an endangered species, these types of chemicals pose a serious 
threat to plants and can potentially contaminate the water sources in the 
wilderness area, he said.

"We're working very hard to maintain a good quality environment," Jorgensen 
said. "It's very troubling when someone comes in and strips away every bit 
of camouflage."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom