Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2008
Source: Visalia Times-Delta, The (CA)
Copyright: 2008 The Visalia Times-Delta
Contact: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2759
Author: Tina Terrell
Note: Tina Terrell is forest supervisor of the Sequoia National 
Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/LOCCUST (Operation LOCCUST)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?208 (Environmental Issues)

BUSTING POT OPERATIONS IN THE FOREST

Thought I'd take a few moments and share with you some startling 
statistics about marijuana sites in the Sequoia National Forest. Most 
readers have likely heard about Operation LOCCUST (Locating Organized 
Cannabis Cultivators Using Saturation Tactics), where 14 agencies 
teamed up to remove marijuana plants, investigate and apprehend drug 
trafficking individuals, and remove marijuana-growing infrastructure 
on public land in Tulare County. In just two weeks, they put a 
phenomenal dent in the marijuana cultivation activity in Tulare County.

Public safety is the Forest Service's impetus for addressing the 
marijuana growing aggressively in the Sequoia National Forest and we 
are partnering with others to vigilantly police these public lands.

Of the startling 482,158 plants eradicated, 312,994 were taken from 
public land managed by the Sequoia National Forest. Additionally, law 
enforcement confiscated 380.2 pounds of processed marijuana, 17 
ounces of cocaine, 42.5 ounces of "ice" methamphetamine; made 28 drug 
related arrests; seized 26 firearms, a vehicle and $6,900 in cash. 
They have seven ongoing warrants; most from marijuana growing 
operations conducted by armed drug trafficking organizations. These 
organizations are primarily undocumented foreigners that pose a 
significant threat to the public, Forest Service employees and to the 
environment.

In past efforts, when marijuana was eradicated in Tulare County, 
personnel and funding were not adequate to clean up the mess created 
by growers. Thanks to volunteers from the High Sierra Volunteer Trail 
Crew, supported by the Forest Service, more than 30 percent of the 51 
grow sites located on the Forest were reclaimed.

In less than two weeks, these volunteers removed 245 bags (35,540 
pounds) of trash which held 20 propane tanks, 4,195 pounds of 
fertilizer, 22 pounds of pesticide, 33.5 gallons of chemical, and 
165,556 feet (31 miles) of irrigation line. These volunteers 
destroyed multiple make-shift structures that were built by the 
growers, including benches, tables, two dams and 11 reservoirs. 
Removal of this material will help restore the land to its natural 
state and will remove the infrastructure which is imperative to deter 
drug trafficking organizations from re-establishing their operations.

These drug trafficking organizations occupy public land for months at 
a time, threaten public safety, cause fires, cut trees, build illegal 
structures, illegally kill wildlife, pollute the watershed, create 
massive trash problems and illegally use herbicides and pesticides. 
These large sites strip the soil of its nutrients and stress local 
indigenous species. Forest Service law enforcement and partner 
agencies will continue to focus their efforts to disrupt and 
dismantle drug trafficking organizations that are primarily 
responsible for the marijuana cultivation occurring on the Sequoia 
National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument.

We continue to address resource degradation issues and the effects of 
marijuana growing that affect the watershed when chemicals and 
materials and equipment are left on the landscape. We will be 
diligent in our law enforcement operations and management restoration 
efforts to reduce damage where marijuana growing occurs. Even though 
Operation LOCCUST is over, we will continue to partner with law 
enforcement agencies to manage and curtail marijuana cultivation and 
work with volunteers and others to restore areas that have been degraded.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom