25-Acre Marijuana Garden Discovered

XLE420 · 07-01-2006, 05:12 AM

A 25-acre marijuana garden on public land in the Bartlett Springs area of Lake County was discovered during a June 22 aerial search, according to Matt Knudson, a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer.

The discovery by a combined team that also included Detective Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office and officers from CAMP (Campaign Against Illegal Marijuana Growing Operations) led to the eradication of 8,925 plants, Knudson said.

No suspects were arrested, but a shotgun and ammunition were found, contributing to concern over marijuana cultivation on public lands as a continuing menace in California.

Recent aerial flights, law enforcement officials say, have turned up numerous other growing sites.

On June 23, the day after the seizure at Bartlett Springs, preseason policing against cultivation of pot on public soil had already netted 50,000 plants, the eradication of nine gardens and the arrest of three individuals this year, according to state Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

The 2006 annual CAMP program, kicked off the same day, last year netted a record 1.3 million plants with an estimated market value of more than $4.5 billion. CAMP officials believe that record could be broken this year. CAMP has eradicated 5.2 million plants with a wholesale value of more than $20 billion over a history of 23 years.

The CAMP program is managed by the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement and is comprised of local, state and federal agencies. Other CAMP participants include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the U.S. National Park Service, the Governor's Office of Emergency

Services, the National Guard, the California Department of Fish and Game, California State Parks and local police and sheriff's departments statewide.

Even with multi-agency policing to find and eradicate marijuana and restrict its trafficking, a threat to the public posed by illegal pot growers exists. Concern was heightened when two men were shot to death on June 17 apparently because they happened onto a garden for the plant on the Round Valley Tribal Reservation in the Covelo area of Mendocino National Forest.

Not until Tuesday 10 days after the shootings did law enforcement agencies allow Mendocino National Forest personnel to go back into the Covelo area to carry out field duties.

"We have been cleared to go back to work in the Covelo ranger district," David Sinclear, chief of the forest's fire department and acting forest supervisor, said Tuesday. "But we are asking our employees to use a check-in and check-out system, and if they see anything serious to leave the area."

Meanwhile, according to Lt. D.J. Miller of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office no arrests have been made in the Covelo area shootings.

"There's nothing more to report other than what was in the original press release," Miller said. " We are still actively putting the case together.

Newshawk: SX420 - 420 Magazine
Source: Lake County Record Bee
Author: John Lindblom - Record-Bee staff
Copyright: 2006 Record-Bee.com
Contact: jlindblom@record-bee.com
Website: www.record-bee.com - HOME