Pubdate: Wed, 19 Aug 2015
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Hearst Communications Inc.
Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388
Author: Peter Vaernet

DESTRUCTIVE PLANTS

I would like to thank U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for having had the 
integrity to defend our national forests from the environmentally 
destructive marijuana growers. Large marijuana operations endanger 
the public with violence and threats of wildfires, pollute streams 
and wetlands, poison wildlife, fund criminal drug-trafficking 
organizations and undo significant federal, state and private 
investment in the landscape. In addition, these operations are 
exacerbating water shortages and conflicts in this drought because 
they invariably include illegal water diversions and/or water theft 
from, for example, the Yurok First Nation people in Northern 
California. Haag has been successfully addressing the right 
environmental issues.

Peter Vaernet, San Francisco
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom