Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jul 2015 Source: Herald and News (Klamath Falls, OR) Copyright: 2015 Herald and News Contact: http://www.heraldandnews.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2600 Author: Lee Juillerat PIT RIVER CHAIRMAN DISAPPOINTED BY RAID Mickey Gemmill Jr., chairman of the Pit River Tribe, says he is disappointed with last week's raid of marijuana grow operations in Modoc County, including one involving the Pit River Tribe. Agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Drug Enforcement Administration raided two sites on tribal lands near Alturas last Wednesday. According to a new release from the agencies, law enforcement officers, including the Modoc County Sheriff's Department, seized at least 12,000 marijuana plants and more than 100 pounds of processed marijuana. "The marijuana grows in question have received substantial attention in Modoc County, as has the U.S. Department of Justice's guidance relating to marijuana cultivation on tribal lands," the release said. One site was an indoor grow operation at the Alturas Indian Rancheria, inside the tribe's former Event Center near the Desert Rose Casino. The second site was the XL Ranch adjacent to Highway 395 along the Pit River. According to the release, the XL site included 40 newly constructed greenhouses, each capable of growing about 1,000 plants, and a gable-roofed structure that boosted the square footage another 50 percent. "Both of the grow operations, which appear to have been operating in conjunction with each other, were well in excess of the locally enacted marijuana cultivation applicable to county land," the release said. "The volume of marijuana that the XL facility alone was capable of producing, estimated at 40,000-60,000 plants, far exceeds any prior known commercial marijuana grow operation anywhere within the 34-county Eastern District. "According to tribal representatives, all of the marijuana cultivated at both facilities was intended to be distributed off tribal lands at various unidentified locations. As indicated in the search warrant affidavits, the investigation to date indicates both operations may have been financed by a third party foreign national." In comments to the Herald and News and in a news release, Gemmill disputed some of those claims and emphasized the Pit River Tribe is not affiliated with the Alturas Rancheria. The Pit River Tribe has about 3,000 members and has manages about 14,000 acres of land, including about 10,000 in Modoc County near Alturas. The Alturas Rancheria has five members and tribal holdings of about 20 acres. Gemmill said federal agencies failed to provide any warning before last week's raid, despite the Pit River Tribe's efforts to follow guidelines. "Federal agents destroyed the patient cooperative's plants and seized confidential patient information, among other documents," he said in news release. "We are very disappointed with the decision of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as the lead federal agency, to descend on sovereign land with an army of nearly 50 law enforcement officers. That the BIA would take such a disrespectful approach to an Indian tribe on its own land is a serious assault to the tribe's right to self-governance." "This action was especially appalling given that some tribal members were subjected to excessive police force, severely injured and arrested during the search," Gemmill said. "We believe that it is important to remind the BIA of its responsibility to protect Indian tribes, not to undermine legitimate tribal efforts to create jobs and improve the health and welfare of tribal members." "Needless to say, we intend to have conversations in the coming days with the Department of Justice and the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs," said Gemmill. The Pit River Tribe is a federally recognized Indian tribe of 11 autonomous bands of Indians with tribal lands in Shasta, Lassen, Siskiyou and Modoc counties. The Pit River Tribe has no affiliation with the Alturas Indian Rancheria and is not cooperating with any marijuana cultivation being conducted on the 20 acre Alturas Rancheria. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom