Pubdate: Sat, 29 Aug 2009
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Page: A15
Copyright: 2009 Los Angeles Times
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/bc7El3Yo
Website: http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Cited: U.S. Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/

Colorado

AGENCY RETRACTS LATINO WARNING

An advocate for Latino rights says she was appalled to learn that the 
U.S. Forest Service is warning the public that campers who eat 
tortillas, drink Tecate beer and play Spanish music could be armed 
marijuana growers.

Polly Baca, co-chairwoman of the Colorado Latino Forum, said the 
warning is profiling and discriminatory, and could put Latino campers 
in danger.

The agency quickly retracted the warning, issued Wednesday amid an 
investigation into how much marijuana was being cultivated in 
Colorado's national forests.

"It is inexcusable and we regret that this insensitivity distracted 
attention from the real problem of illegal marijuana cultivation on 
federal land and the threats to human safety and environmental 
degradation it poses," said Hank Kashdan, associate chief of the U.S. 
Forest Service.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake