Pubdate: Sat, 12 Jul 2008
Source: Record Searchlight (Redding, CA)
Copyright: 2008 Record Searchlight
Contact:  http://www.redding.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/360
Author: Ryan Sabalow
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Marijuana - California)

SHASTA LITE TARGETS POT; NONE SEEN BY FIRE UNIT

Move over Operation Alesia. Here comes Operation Shasta Lite.

Firefighters may be gathering the most attention as blazes burn 
across the north state, but uniformed officers have quietly been 
tromping through public lands in fire-free parts of Shasta County.

Sheriff Tom Bosenko said at a news conference Friday that his 
deputies have for the past week embarked on a major 
marijuana-eradication campaign in the Lakehead area, pulling up and 
destroying some 37,705 plants.

Bosenko said this summer's pot eradication efforts were scaled down 
after the success of last year's Operation Alesia campaign, a 
multiple-agency effort that removed 283,397 pot plants in a few 
weeks' time and garnered a visit from the nation's drug czar.

Thus the reason for the "Lite" in the title, he said.

But Bosenko said there's nothing small about this summer's operation 
designed to target the growers, which he said are largely illegal 
immigrants farming the pot for Mexican drug cartels. Since May, some 
86,000 pot plants have been destroyed in various areas around the 
county, Bosenko said.

Consistent with years past, the growers tear out large swaths of 
forest, create intricate irrigation systems and use dangerous poisons 
and pesticides in their work, he said.

"All of these grows present an obvious and real threat to public 
safety and to people using public lands," Bosenko said.

No arrests have been reported thus far.

Bosenko said pot-busting deputies in camouflage have been largely 
staying away from firefighting efforts, and a good portion of the 
U.S. National Guard helicopters used in past pot operations are now 
soaking blazes from above.

Only one grow found in the county thus far has been near fires, but 
it wasn't discovered as a result of the blazes, Bosenko said.

On July 3, a garden of 4,460 marijuana plants was destroyed near the 
end of Zogg Mine Road. Homes have been threatened in that area by the 
Moon Complex of fires.

Otherwise, fire crews in Shasta County haven't reported much contact 
with illegal grow operations, Bosenko said.

The same goes for firefighters battling blazes in the Shasta-Trinity 
National Forest, said spokesman Mike Odle.

But he said it's always a concern.

That's why safety briefings regarding illegal marijuana activities 
around the forest are provided to firefighters, he said.

"It is especially important to firefighters not familiar with the 
issues facing California's public lands or are from out of the area," 
Odle said in an e-mail.

Firefighters are taught not to enter an illegal grow and to turn 
around when they spot a garden on Forest Service land.

If the garden is on private property, it could be legal so 
firefighters don't bother with it, Odle said.

"We avoid the plants and continue to do our job, protecting life and 
property and mitigating damage to natural resources," Odle said.

Trinity County sheriff's Cpl. Omar Brown said that firefighters in 
his county haven't reported any grows to law enforcement either.

However, when the blazes started in the south part of the county, 
residents called sheriff's deputies saying they saw large numbers of 
people -- presumably Mexican nationals -- fleeing the deep woods as 
the flames roared closer, Brown said.

Although firefighters haven't reported any run-ins with illegal 
growers, it's only a matter of time before they do, Brown said.

"We're waiting for it to happen," he said. "It's going to happen." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake