The following is a press release from the Mono County Sheriff’s Department:
As part of the campaign of the Mono Narcotic Enforcement Team (MONET) to combat the cultivation of marijuana in Mono County, MONET agents, with the assistance of Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, Mammoth Lakes Police Department, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, CAMP, Alpine County Sheriff’s Department, Bishop Police Department, Mono County District Attorney’s Office, Mono County paramedics and Mono County Public Works, eradicated a large cultivation operation in Mono County on Forest Service land.
The eradication took place on Thursday, August 25th, 2011, in the Sweetwater Mountain Range in the Toiyabe National Forest. Over the course of 12 hours law enforcement, with the assistance of DEA and CAMP helicopters, eradicated more than 13,000 marijuana plants from several grow sites. The potential street value of the marijuana is approximately $67 million dollars. No suspects were located in the grow sites although multiple camp areas were located along with several weapons and ammunition.
With these types of illegal marijuana grow sites, public lands are routinely desecrated with garbage, piping material, etc. The U.S. Forest Service will go into the area for extensive clean up and restoration due to the destruction of public lands by these cultivators.
MONET agents would like to warn outdoor enthusiasts of the dangers of locating one of these grow sites while enjoying the outdoors. If you see anything that looks out of place such as cleared areas of forest that should not be cleared, fertilizer bags, black plastic pipes, large camps where there should not be, or growing marijuana, please immediately leave the area and note the location, if possible, and notify the appropriate law enforcement agency. These large scale marijuana cultivators are known to be armed and will sometimes protect the gardens at any expense.
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Wayne what are you 90 years old and hating life? If you drink you get high too. Maybe you should try a hit or two. It’s less harmful than booze.
JJ…….Stupid statement there,buddy…No,no,and no….I’m not 90 years old,I don’t hate life,and I don’t drink…This pot eradication took place on August 26….That is about 6 weeks ago….and your just getting to the story,and commenting now?..in mid-October?..Instead of telling me to go smoke a bowl,maybe you should lay off the bong,
Good job to all involved. thats one less pot farm that wont hit the streets,legal or illegal. whats dissapointing is that they never seem to catch anyone. something of this sieze requires a lot of man hours and a lot of man power from both sides, yet no one ever gets cought!!!!!! this was just one operation, jut how many of these “farms”: are out there really?! and on the tax dollar issue. I’d rather have my tax dollars be spent on fighting some thing i absolutely dont support or have a need of,…..anyways job well done to all involved!!!
I find it amusing to read all the blogs on this news story.
The estimated amount of money that the pot farms are suppose to be worth is a joke. It’s just the reported agencies trying to show justification for their big operation. They have truly over priced the value of the marijuana that they chopped down. Now don’t get me wrong….I think it’s fine to go after the illegal growers. They are, after all, illegal. But the raids haven’t make a bit of difference in all these years. And you know the definition of “insanity” right?
Wayne, you go overboard on all your statements. Calm down, mellow out, go have a drink, if that’s your thing. Cannabis will never be available in quick stops at the corner, drug stores ( marijuana is in pill form) markets,fast food restaurants,etc. However, addicting alcohol is legal in all of the places that you mentioned. You can buy dangerous cigarettes in some of those places too. There are far worse things going on than marijuana in the USA. I am a cancer patient, I’m over 60 and I legally medicate with medical cannabis. The majority of Americans have voted to approve the legalization of marijuana. In American the majority is suppose to rule.
And when the voters passed the proposition allowing for MMJ,you,and other cancer patients,or patients recovering from side-affects is what it was intended for….not for what it has become.
I meant between, not to. Sorry for the typo
I am hoping that people realize that there is a difference to medicinal marijuana which can be cultivated safely, sanely and free from illegal pesticides and the type of “pot farm” that was eradicated.
Guns, garbage, slave labor and the like are certainly not what we want in our land or around our neighbors. Thanks to all who are concerned about the destructive nature of these illegal grows, especially to those who clean up and restore the mess.
There’s something wrong with the economics of an area when the best jobs are landing a position with a taxeating agency.
Thursday’s operation was a huge extended family gather up, at taxpayers expense.
I’m all for getting the pot farms out of our forest. But lets to a bit more then go out once a year to rid the forest of weed.
I’ve heard that the people who maintain these grows are illegals who have been brought here and part of paying for passage is to maintain these farms. So one would think with a little investigative work we could also arrest some people involved in human trafficing.
There’s a bigger picture here then just growing pot on public lands.
Wayne – I’m not that guy, that’s not my issue. I think it’s the responsiblity of those agencies involved to stop these people from growing in our forest. The way they’re approaching the issue now has proven to do nothing year after year but offer job security for all those involved.
And of course we only hear about the illegal grows they find. It’s about time to catch some of these people and follow the trail back up the ladder.
I could probably retire early on the combined salaries and time of all those involved while they’re all shaking hands around the CAMP fire saying “see ya next year”.
So what Rob is trying to say is when this farm of illegal dope was seen,what Law Enforcement should have done is turn and walk away…..or,of course,the same old arguement,thinking if dope was legally sold in quick stops,drug stores,at the corner markets,fast food restaurants,etc.,this multi-million dollar buisness of dealing dope would automatically just disappear and go away.Once again,gotta say for these dope dealers….and their “patients”….No harvest time for you!!!!!!…WhoooYaaa!!!!
Mono Narcotic Enforcement Team (MONET)
Inyo County Sheriff’s Department
Mammoth Lakes Police Department
U.S. Forest Service
Bureau of Land Management
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
Douglas County Sheriff’s Department
California Highway Patrol, CAMP
Alpine County Sheriff’s Department
Bishop Police Department
Mono County District Attorney’s Office
Mono County paramedics
Mono County Public Works
^ that’s a lot of money, and it’s doing nothing to solve the problem,
THEY DIDN’T EVEN CATCH ANYONE
I would like to here the final cost to the TAXpayers of this operation
And the cycle continues. The Mexican Cartels will continue to profit from American pot prohibition, as will the law enforcement cartels (via taxpayers hard earned money).
When will the voters of this country learn…
GOOD JOB Mono County Law Enforcement,and other agencies involved in this large haul of “medicine” out of our forest…Wow!!!..Look at the photo of all the trash left by these “farmers” and ‘patients”!…..For those that were involved in this illegal grow-site…….No harvest time for you!!!!!!
WOW
and i thought that photo was from Shady Rest Park after a long weekend.
all it is missing are the diapers.