News (Media Awareness Project) - US CA: Mendocino National Forest Lifts Restrictions |
| Title: | US CA: Mendocino National Forest Lifts Restrictions |
| Published On: | 2006-06-28 |
| Source: | Chico Enterprise-Record (CA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-18 08:02:09 |
MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST LIFTS RESTRICTIONS
WILLOWS -- The Covelo Ranger District of Mendocino National Forest is
now safe for Forest Service employees to return to work, officials
announced.
Mendocino Forest spokeswoman Phebe Brown said the restriction on the
area was lifted Tuesday after Mendocino County law enforcement
officials said it's safe to return to the area.
The Covelo District was closed June 21 to employees as a precautionary
measure after the Forest Service was notified that suspects who were
believed to be armed and dangerous were either hiding in or passing
through the area.
The suspects were at large in connection with the shooting deaths June
17 of two Covelo men, reportedly near a 5,000-plant marijuana crop.
Five men were arrested last week on suspicion of cultivation of the
garden, but so far no arrests have been made in connection with the
murders, according to reports.
Mendocino Sheriff's Capt. Kurt Smallcomb had not returned calls by
deadline.
The Mendocino County garden is one of many that authorities have
destroyed recently. In addition to announcing the reopening of the
Covelo District, the Forest Service reported nearly 60,000 marijuana
plants have been eradicated in the Mendocino Forest in the last four
weeks. Federal agents have arrested several people associated with the
gardens.
Recent flights over the Mendocino Forest have revealed numerous other
growing sites, as well, according to the Forest Service.
On Thursday, Lake County Sheriff's Office and CAMP joined the forest
agents and raided a garden in the Bartlett Springs area. It covered 25
acres in the national forest. No one was arrested, but a shotgun and
ammunition were recovered and 8,925 plants were eradicated.
Glenn and Tehama County sheriff's deputies, Forest Service officers
and Tagmet agents raided a large system of connected marijuana gardens
June 8 in the Mendocino forest, about 15 miles from Paskenta. They
destroyed 33,371 young plants that would have been worth hundreds of
millions of dollars if grown to maturity. Suspects were seen fleeing
the area during the raid, but have not been found.
WILLOWS -- The Covelo Ranger District of Mendocino National Forest is
now safe for Forest Service employees to return to work, officials
announced.
Mendocino Forest spokeswoman Phebe Brown said the restriction on the
area was lifted Tuesday after Mendocino County law enforcement
officials said it's safe to return to the area.
The Covelo District was closed June 21 to employees as a precautionary
measure after the Forest Service was notified that suspects who were
believed to be armed and dangerous were either hiding in or passing
through the area.
The suspects were at large in connection with the shooting deaths June
17 of two Covelo men, reportedly near a 5,000-plant marijuana crop.
Five men were arrested last week on suspicion of cultivation of the
garden, but so far no arrests have been made in connection with the
murders, according to reports.
Mendocino Sheriff's Capt. Kurt Smallcomb had not returned calls by
deadline.
The Mendocino County garden is one of many that authorities have
destroyed recently. In addition to announcing the reopening of the
Covelo District, the Forest Service reported nearly 60,000 marijuana
plants have been eradicated in the Mendocino Forest in the last four
weeks. Federal agents have arrested several people associated with the
gardens.
Recent flights over the Mendocino Forest have revealed numerous other
growing sites, as well, according to the Forest Service.
On Thursday, Lake County Sheriff's Office and CAMP joined the forest
agents and raided a garden in the Bartlett Springs area. It covered 25
acres in the national forest. No one was arrested, but a shotgun and
ammunition were recovered and 8,925 plants were eradicated.
Glenn and Tehama County sheriff's deputies, Forest Service officers
and Tagmet agents raided a large system of connected marijuana gardens
June 8 in the Mendocino forest, about 15 miles from Paskenta. They
destroyed 33,371 young plants that would have been worth hundreds of
millions of dollars if grown to maturity. Suspects were seen fleeing
the area during the raid, but have not been found.
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