SB COUNTY IS A POT HOT SPOT

Ranks Fifth in Seizures Under State Eradication Program

The devious mountain landscape almost masked a big mystery from a
random hiker who stumbled upon 1,500 marijuana plants one day in July.

While it was a significant find, sheriff's deputies familiar with the
rugged terrain ventured farther into the Angelus Oaks woods and found
about 53,000 more plants, one of the largest busts in county history.

It's been a good year for San Bernardino County law enforcement in
terms of marijuana plant seizures. The Sheriff's Department found and
removed more than 97,000 plants, the most since 1991. And the county
ranked fifth in the state for plants seized with the assistance of a
state eradication group.

But members of the sheriff's Marijuana Eradication Team say they
still have a lot more work to do.

"I know for a fact we did not find all the marijuana grows in the San
Bernardino Mountains that were out there," said Sgt. John Ginter,
team supervisor. "There are some that we missed. That's our goal next
year is to try to identify more locations and eradicate more plants."

Law-enforcement officers assigned to marijuana farms say the county's
high ranking this year is due to more and more growers discovering
the San Bernardino National Forest is ideal for concealing their
lucrative enterprises.

"The remoteness of our forest lands and the availability of our water
sources is the reason for the increase in the plant numbers," Ginter said.

It's a trend reflected across the state.

The state Department of Justice said 2006 was a record-setting year
for pot plant seizures, with 1.7 million plants removed mostly from
public lands such as state and national parks and forests. That's an
increase of about 540,000 plants over 2005.

The plants were worth an estimated $6.7billion. The department's
Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP program, conducted 477
raids in 34 counties during the growing season, which typically
starts in late July and ends as late as November, depending on the weather.

While some local law-enforcement officials believe activity is
increasing, state officials say the increase in seizures is due to
more manpower, better equipment and training.

Five teams under the CAMP program were used this past growing season,
compared with three in 2005, said state Justice Department
spokeswoman Robin Schwanke.

Members of the team have also increased the use of helicopter
surveillance, helping track more growth locations and making them
easier to access.

"Agents can be transported by helicopter into the garden, whereas
before they hiked in and hiked out with the marijuana," Schwanke said.

San Bernardino County's Marijuana Eradication Team is most active
during the growth and harvest season, but it works year-round staking
out potential growth sites and locations of prior busts.

It's a job full of hazards. The team navigates steep and rocky
terrain, avoiding snakes and other wildlife. It also occasionally
runs into pot farm workers carrying firearms.

"It's not so much to fight off law enforcement, but to fight off wild
animals or people trying to invade the turf and steal the product,"
Ginter said.

Sometimes plants are discovered by chance.

In July, firefighters battling the 61,700-acre Sawtooth Complex Fire
in a remote area of Little Morongo Canyon discovered plants covering
nearly two square miles.

Deputies have discovered they are often at a disadvantage when it
comes to catching people operating the farms.

Growers pick locations ideal for spotting any intruders, especially
law enforcement. Workers camp in trees and work as lookouts on high
ground. They have a couple minutes to an hour head start before
officers even spot a plant.

They plant on several sites, knowing they may have to sacrifice one
or two plots in law-enforcement busts.

"It's what we learn from the previous grow season that we apply in
the next grow season," Ginter said. "It's an ever-changing deal. They
learn from us just as we learn from them."

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MARIJUANA SEIZURES

San Bernardino County marijuana seizures under the 2006 Campaign
Against Marijuana Planting:

Total plants seized: 1.675 million

Estimated value: $6.7 billion

Raids: 477

Arrests: 27

Weapons seized: 29

Plant seizures by county

1. Lake - 314,603

2. Shasta - 227,488

3. Mendocino - 135,736

4. Fresno - 102,814

5. San Bernardino - 91,286

6. Riverside - 84,752

7. Sonoma - 73,460

8. Trinity - 68,544

9. Humboldt - 59,616

10. Santa Clara - 52,416

County numbers reflect busts conducted under the Campaign Against
Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, program. Some counties, such as Los
Angeles and San Diego, do not utilize CAMP.

Source - California Department of Justice