CLEANING UP THE MESS: U.S. FOREST SERVICE PICKS UP WHAT MARIJUANA
GROWERS LEAVE BEHIND

U.S. Forest Service crews from the Lower Trinity Ranger District
removed more than 10 cubic yards of trash this week from six
abandoned marijuana grow sites in remote areas of Six Rivers National
Forest near Willow Creek.

According to a press release, it's a common occurrence.

After law enforcement officers have discovered, investigated and
collected evidence from illegal marijuana operations on forest lands,
the task of cleaning up and removing garbage and waste falls to the
local U.S. Forest Service units, according to the release.

Wednesday, a helicopter was used to transport large amounts of trash,
garden hoses, propane tanks, insecticides and other waste from old
grow sites to be disposed of properly.

Illegal marijuana cultivation poses a public safety risk and directly
harms the environment, according to the release. The use of
herbicides, pesticides and poisons can cause extensive, long-term
damage to natural resources and impact public drinking water for
hundreds of miles, according to the release. Additionally, the
operations can destroy timber, vegetation and wildlife habitats, as
well as divert needed water from watersheds, streams and public
drinking water supplies, according to the release.

With hunting season quickly approaching, the forest service is
warning that more members of the public may be stumbling upon remote
active or inactive marijuana growing operations in the forest. The
U.S. Forest Service asks that anyone who finds a suspicious campsite
or garden not take any chances. They should immediately leave the
area and report their findings to law enforcement, according to the
release, to describe what they observed and the exact location. The
release also asks people to record and report vehicle license plates
or descriptions of people and vehicles in the vicinity of suspected
marijuana grow operations.

But, above all, the release advises people to consider their safety
first and not take any independent action.