CAMP NIPS POT HARVEST IN THE BUD

More Than 400 Plants Seized From Delta Lands

Eager hands ripped immature crops out of San Joaquin County fields
Wednesday. But though the eventual harvest would have been worth more than
gold, don't expect growers to report the missing plants to authorities.

In fact, it was police doing the taking.

The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, a state Department of Justice
program that includes the National Guard and California Highway Patrol, was
in the Delta lands along Highway 12 west of Interstate 5, confiscating more
than 400 plants from a number of sites.

A modest value estimate is about $4,000 per plant, CAMP officials said.
That number is based on a plant's yielding 1 pound of buds, the flowers of
the plant where the active ingredient is concentrated.

But one CAMP agent said the approximately 250 plants seized before noon had
the capability of producing 2 to 3 pounds each.

"They were doing a pretty good job growing marijuana," said Fred Doran, a
special agent with the Department of Justice. He added that the plants'
true value would be hard to estimate, as they had not yet flowered. "These
plants were huge, and they weren't even budding yet."

CAMP, a year-round program, does most of its confiscation around this time
of year, before most plants are harvested, Doran said.

CAMP assists local law enforcement agencies that ask for help. CAMP is
called yearly to the county, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office spokesman
Joe Herrera said.

During one find in a cornfield, a helicopter from the San Joaquin Sheriff's
Office hovered above.

The two-person crew spotted the plants and relayed their location to 11
jungle-camouflage-wearing, pistol-carrying CAMP members on the ground.
Within 15 minutes, they were heading to the contraband, disappearing among
the stalks and returning, sweaty and with marijuana stalks taller than them
over their shoulders.

Doran did not believe the farmers growing the legal crops knew of the
marijuana. He said it appeared the marijuana was planted and left for
unsuspecting farmers to water and fertilize.

CAMP's costs vary year to year, with $3.2 million spent when the program
started in 1983, said Sonya Barna, CAMP operations commander. There are
three teams altogether, including the one in the county Wednesday. CAMP is
expected to cost just under $1 million this year. Last year, when 250,000
plants worth $1 billion were confiscated, the program cost about $640,000,
she said.

Barna admitted that it is impossible to tell if CAMP significantly reduces
the use of marijuana.

"We're hoping it's helping with the amount on the streets, but the reality
is we have to stop the demand," Barna said.

CAMP's main focus is to confiscate marijuana. Officers usually don't make
arrests, said Sgt. Steve Fontes of the Sheriff's Office.

The marijuana found Wednesday did not appear to be linked to a major
selling operation but was obviously far more than needed for the farmers'
personal use, he said. Fontes said CAMP may be back for more confiscations.

To reach reporter Eric Louie, phone 546-8296 or e-mail elouie@recordnet.com