The discovery of a large-scale marijuana growing operation in and around the Clear Creek Management Area in southern San Benito County Thursday highlighted the environmental havoc wreaked by dope farmers on public lands.
Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team agents found and destroyed more than 4,700 high-grade marijuana plants at three different gardens on Thursday, UNET Cmdr. Mark Colla said Friday. While UNET agents cut down, transported and buried the marijuana, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer announced record-breaking marijuana busts throughout the state. More than 1.2 million marijuana plants worth $4.9 billion have been seized by state law enforcement officers this year, breaking last year's record of 1.1 million plants. To date, California Department of Justice officers have found and destroyed 335 gardens, arrested 18 suspects and seized 17 weapons.
UNET agents were assisted by the Department of Justice's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, Bureau of Land Management and deputies from the San Benito County Sheriff's Office. While law enforcement's primary goal is eradicating the marijuana, others are more concerned with the environmental effect of large grow sites on public land.
"It's a major problem," said John Dearing, a spokesman for the California Bureau of Land Management. "It's damaging to the land and can be dangerous for recreational users."
Dearing said it is often the people visiting state parks who find the marijuana growing operations.
"They stumble upon these farms and that can be dangerous," he said. "They run the risk of running into armed guards."
In addition to creating public safety concerns, marijuana farmers damage the environment by leaving trash and pesticides, Dearing said.
"The harmful chemicals they leave behind can get into water tables and create a lasting problem," he said. "I couldn't tell you the extent of the problem, but it's severe."
Colla said that in addition to pesticides, UNET agents have been finding more and more rat poison at cultivation sites.
"They use a lot of rat poison around the perimeter of the gardens to keep rats, deer and other animals out," he said. "The animals don't eat the poison, but when it rains the poison gets into the water tables and causes serious environmental hazards."
"They clear cut, they terrace, they destroy trees," he said. "It's this kind of damage we worry about more than anything else."
Marijuana farmers also leave behind large amounts of trash, weapons and excrement, San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill said. He said deputies often find three months' worth of trash at rural grow sites.
"They're ruthless when it comes to the environment," Hill said. "It's all part of the criminal greed involved in marijuana cultivation."
Colla said agents often find car batteries at garden camp sites as well. Gardeners use the batteries to power electrical equipment while tending the marijuana plants, he said. Car batteries contain 18 pounds of lead and 1 pound of sulfuric acid, both of which are harmful to the environment, Colla said.
No one was arrested during Thursday's raid. Catching the criminals responsible for the gardens can be difficult, Colla said. The gardeners who tend the marijuana plants often flee the area before drug agents arrive.
Even when growers are caught and prosecuted on criminal charges, the cost of cleaning up the mess they leave behind is passed on to taxpayers. San Benito County District Attorney John Sarsfield said marijuana growers are rarely prosecuted civilly for environmental violations.
"The growers don't own the land, so they don't care about the harm they are doing," he said. "And typically the people found in the garden are indigent, so it doesn't make sense to go after them for monetary damages in civil court."
Brett Rowland covers public Safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or browland@freelancenews.com.
Brett Rowland Brett Rowland is city editor for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 332 or browland@freelancenews.com
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