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 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom