OFFICIALS SEIZE 3 MORE POT FARMS, BUT NO ARRESTS MADE

Raid: More Than 5,000 Plants, Worth An Estimated Street Value Of As Much As
$10 Million, Are Taken During The Two-Day Operation In Los Padres National
Forest.

Authorities have destroyed three more marijuana farms in Los Padres
National Forest, bringing the number of plants uprooted in Ventura County's
back country to more than 15,000 this season.

The latest seizures, over a two-day period this week, netted authorities
more than 5,000 plants, worth an estimated street value of as much as $10
million.

"It's not too shabby, the amount of product we've taken off the street,"
said Eric Nishimoto, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's
Department. "And we're not done yet."

With the assistance of U.S. Forest Service and Marine personnel, the
Sheriff's Department has used a fleet of helicopters since July to patrol
the forest. But because the cultivation sites are in remote areas,
authorities have so far made no arrests during any of their back country raids.

"It's pretty difficult to catch them," Nishimoto said. "A mountainside is a
pretty good place to put yourself. You can easily spot the enemy coming."

Nishimoto said the growers had been living on the makeshift farms since
early spring, when the marijuana is planted. Harvesting usually starts in
September.

A warm summer and an abundant natural water supply combined to make this an
exceptionally good growing season, Nishimoto said.

On Monday, authorities found a farm in the Tule Creek area of the forest,
while destroying another marijuana garden nearby. They returned Wednesday
and uprooted more than 1,000 plants growing in two ravines near the creek.

At the cultivation site, the growers had built a rough-hewn cabin, using
timber from the forest. The structure was elevated 8 feet, and a calendar
found on the site indicated that the camp had been occupied since April.

Also on Wednesday, authorities discovered a second site at Ladybug Creek,
where 3,300 plants were being cultivated.

Food, ammunition and a loaded 12-gauge shotgun were also found. On
Thursday, authorities confiscated nearly 800 plants from a third garden in
the area of Pine Mountain.

Environmental damage was evident at all three sites, Nishimoto said.

The growers, using sophisticated irrigation systems, diverted water by
damming creeks and removed natural vegetation to grow the marijuana.
Fertilizers, pesticides and the remains of wild animals that likely were
used for food were also found.

Authorities hope that the recovered evidence will lead them to the growers
as well as the drug dealers employing them.

"It's a great thing to confiscate all those plants," Nishimoto said. "But
we'd like to get at the root of the problem."