DRUG CZAR RECLAIMS LAND

Federal official in Fresno fighting spread of drugs to
parks.

With Mexican drug cartels linked to nearly 80% of illegal
marijuana-growing operations found on state and federal public lands,
national drug czar John Walters said his office is working to free
those lands from drug traffickers.

Walters was in Fresno on Wednesday to join a marijuana-eradication
operation near Pine Flat Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest in
eastern Fresno County. He also met with top local, state and federal
law enforcement officials.

According to the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy, the
multibillion-dollar marijuana production industry is spreading fast
across the country.

While more than 50% of the marijuana produced on public land across
the U.S. is in California, operations also have been found in Hawaii,
Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia.

Walters said more than 1.1million marijuana plants were eradicated
from state and federal public lands in California last year, with an
estimated street value of $4.5 million.

And already this year, only two months into the growing season, more
than 940,000 plants have been eradicated in the state.

Out of the 228 marijuana-growing operations found this year on public
land, 166 were associated with Mexican national crime organizations,
according to figures made public by the Office of National Drug
Control Policy.

About 1,000 plants were found in Wednesday's raid near Black Rock
above Pine Flat Reservoir, said Rick Oules, director of the state
Department of Justice. Oules said the marijuana camp was discovered a
few days ago and kept under surveillance until Wednesday's morning
raid.

No arrests were made, but workers who had been growing the plants
apparently left in a hurry, he said.

A vehicle with about 300 pounds of harvested plants was found
abandoned near the camp.

"Mexican drug cartels are turning our national parks into centers of
international drug production and trafficking," Walters said. "Every
American should be outraged that parts of their public lands are being
held hostage by illegal traffickers."

Walters, whose office is committing an additional $2.2 million in law
enforcement funding in the Central Valley, including $100,000 grants
for Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties, said the battle won't be easy.

McGregor Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California,
said marijuana production operations on public lands used to be a
problem associated with "hippies," but have become more deadly with
the involvement of Mexican cartels.

These operations, he said, are funded and run by violent and heavily
armed individuals who have no regard for life or property.

The damage to public land and the environment is massive, he
said.

"It's an environmental crisis," agreed California Attorney General
Bill Lockyer.

Walters said studies show that for every acre used to grow marijuana,
10 acres are damaged or destroyed. It costs taxpayers about $11,000
per acre to repair or restore the land.

John C. Twiss, director of law enforcement and investigations for the
U.S. Forest Service based in Washington, D.C., said the challenge for
law enforcement is to join forces, create a wide intelligence network
and be prepared to share that information.

The Mexican drug cartels, he said, are no doubt aware of efforts to
curb their operations and will make adjustments to keep from getting
caught.

Said Twiss: "We have to do the same thing."