FORT BRAGG SLAYING ADDS TO DRUG VIOLENCE

The dangers lurking in the back woods are no secret to North Coast residents.

Given the brazenness of pot growers and their aggressive protection
of their gardens, owners of remote properties have long known to be
wary - even when walking their own land this time of year.

But on Saturday morning, Fort Bragg City Councilman Jere Melo, 69,
encountered a new level of force and malevolence, and it cost him his life.

Melo, a former mayor and respected civic leader, was shot to
death.His assailant apparently was trying to protect opium poppies in
a garden planted on property owned by Melo's employer, Campbell
Timber Management. Melo, no stranger to these types of encounters,
was unarmed but had brought along a companion who was carrying a weapon.

Law enforcement officials say the two of them were looking for
marijuana gardens on the land near the Noyo River when the assailant
- - believed to be 35-year-old Aaron Bassler of Fort Bragg - began
shooting at them from high ground, striking Melo in the chest. Melo's
companion, who has yet to be identified, reportedly returned fire and
fled to get help from a rail crew passing on the Skunk Train line.
Since then, authorities have joined forces in a massive manhunt for Bassler.

As Staff Writer Glenda Anderson reported this week, Bassler is a man
whose own father described as delusional and violent. "It's anybody's
guess what's going through his head," James Bassler said. "I don't
think he's going to throw down his gun when they find him."

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and Cal Fire were participating
in the search for Bassler, who allegedly used a high-caliber long
rifle in the attack. Meanwhile, the shooting has triggered
across-the-board outrage in the public and rekindled an important
debate about how best to crack down on the use of remote areas -
including public lands - for drug trafficking.

The problem seems to be getting worse. Less than three weeks ago,
45-year-old Matthew Coleman, a Mendocino Land Trust staff member, was
shot and killed while clearing brush on a ranch owned by the Save the
Redwoods league. His killer has not been identified.

Last year, one person was killed during a raid near Laytonville in
Mendocino County, an operation that involved more than 60 law
enforcement officers. In the end, authorities arrested four suspects
and confiscated 2,400 marijuana plants.

These deaths underscore how the stakes are escalating while some
still cling to the idea that growing illegal crops is a victimless crime.

As we've noted before, this is a problem not just for owners of
remote lands. It's a threat to hikers and anyone who seeks to enjoy
the outdoors without fear of stumbling into some forbidden garden -
and losing their life.

Our condolences to the family of Jere Melo and to the community of
Fort Bragg. Let's find his killer - and then let's find a solution to
this deadly cat-and-mouse game. It has to end.