Thousands of marijuana plants removed from forest
Raid and removal of plants were a combined effort of federal and state agencies.
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST — More than 26,000 marijuana plants were removed by the combined effort of federal and state agencies during the past week from public lands located above Springville.
Officials said there was a lot damage to the environment caused by the illegal activity.
On Thursday, officials found and removed more than 7,000 feet of irrigation tubing, more than 2,000 pounds of garbage and hazardous waste, more than 200 pounds of fertilizer and two gallons of pesticides.
Additionally, a lot of vegetation was cut to build infrastructure in the camping area.
The materials were dismantled and removed by the restoration team to prevent the growers from returning to the area.
According to a news release by the Joint Information Center of Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, growers can live in remote locations near the sites for months at a time and officers have come across camps with exercise facilities, tree houses, barbed wire fences and numerous firearms.
The camps often contain cooking and sleeping areas within view of the cultivation site. Some of the camps have tents, hammocks and sleeping bags on the ground and some have large overhanging tarps.
Authorities report that many bears and other animals were killed during the past few years by the growers. Also, herbicides and pesticides are used to remove competing vegetation and gnawing rodents.
The chemicals, human waste and garbage often end up in rivers after winter rains, authorities said.
Irrigation systems remove water needed by fish from small streams, and soil compaction in the gardens leads to erosion.
In 2007, authorities report more than 760,000 illegal marijuana plants were seized on California’s federal lands managed by the Sequoia National Forest, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and Bureau of Land Management.
-- Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1047 or eavila@portervillerecorder.com.
