LOCAL, STATE MARIJUANA ERADICATION TEAMS

Camp Season Is Here, but Tents Are Not Required.

The California Department of Justice has kicked off its 2004 Campaign
Against Marijuana Planting season.

CAMP comes to Mendocino County on a yearly basis during peak marijuana
season to assist the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team,
established in 1983 to help control violence often associated with
large gardens.

Almost all the camps raided show indications of weapons. For example,
discarded ammunition or gun holsters, according to Mendocino County
Sheriff's Sgt. and COMMET Commander Rusty Noe.

Monday was CAMP's first day in Mendocino County this season and
together with COMMET, agents confiscated over 5,000 plants in the Fish
Rock Road area, Noe said, noting the gardens are getting bigger again.

"In the past few years we had seen the gardens getting smaller and
more spread out. This year we are seeing them a lot bigger than they
used to be," Noe said.

Sheriff's Capt. Kevin Broin said overflights of the county indicate
increased activity this year.

The marijuana growing season starts in mid-April with harvests ending
in late September or early October. Statewide, this season has already
resulted in the seizure of more than 66,000 plants and 30 weapons, the
eradication of 30 gardens and the arrest of 14 people, according to
CAMP.

In Mendocino County alone, so far in 2004, COMMET agents have
confiscated 26,821 plants from 70 gardens, resulting in the arrest of
13 people, according to Noe.

With that said, keep in mind that unlike CAMP, COMMET operates year
round and these statistics include both indoor and outdoor gardens,
Noe said.

In 2003, the local COMMET visited 285 garden sites in Mendocino County
and seized a total of 69,285 marijuana plants, resulting in 26 arrests.

Managed by the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Narcotic
Enforcement, CAMP is made up of local, state, and federal agencies
tasked with eradicating large-scale illegal indoor and outdoor
marijuana cultivation and trafficking throughout California. During
the season, CAMP will partner with many agencies to remove illegal
commercial grows. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Land
Management, U.S. Forest Service, California National Guard and dozens
of local police and sheriff departments from across the state
participate in the program.

In the 21-year history of the CAMP program, agents have eradicated
almost 3.5 million plants with an estimated wholesale value of nearly
$14 billion. In the 2003 season, CAMP seized a record 466,054 plants
worth $1.9 billion. Seizures have dramatically increased the last five
years due to better deployment teams throughout the state; more
aggressive techniques, particularly aerial transportation of officers
and surveillance; and the size of gardens. The average 2003 raid
netted 2,500 plants; in 1994, the average garden yielded 300 to 500
plants, according to CAMP.