Klamath National Forest first in nation to eradicate all known illegal pot grows - Eureka Times-Standard

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After more than a decade of cleaning up illegal cannabis grow operations and campsites throughout the Klamath National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service says the forest will be the first in the National Forest System to be completely free of all known cultivation sites and associated hazardous material.

On July 30, Klamath National Forest officials will haul out several tons of trash and infrastructure near the Ti Bar Klamath River in the Happy Camp area in Siskiyou County.

"We hope this milestone accomplishment will allow national forest visitors, staff, and indigenous tribes that use the Klamath National Forest to be safe from the known hazards associated with illegal cultivation on (National Forest Service) lands," according to a statement from Klamath National Forest spokesperson Kimberly Devall. "This operation will not only reclaim our public lands from this threat but restore millions of gallons of water illegally diverted from the Klamath River."

Mourad Gabriel, pacific southwest regional wildlife ecologist for law enforcement and investigation, and Christopher Magallon, patrol captain for Klamath National Forest will host a brief presentation on the years spent cleaning up the forest. Forest supervisor Rachel Smith and Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue will speak as well.

According to the latest data from the Integral Ecology Research Center based in Blue Lake, in April 2019 federal and state law enforcement officials removed more than 7,500 pounds of trash from 12 illegal cannabis operations in the Klamath National Forest.

The IERC also identified several affected species of concern including the northern spotted owl, Pacific fisher habitat, foothill yellow-legged frog, Del Norte salamander, southern torrent salamander, northern goshawk, bald eagle, silverhaired bat and steelhead trout, according to the data.

The IERC and Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office could not be reached for comment ahead of print deadline.

While the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office could not comment on the actions of other state agencies, spokesperson Samantha Karges noted the importance of cleaning up unregulated cultivation sites, especially during a drought year.

"Illegal cultivation activities during a drought year put an exuberant amount of pressure on already strained fish and wildlife resources," Karges told the Times-Standard. "Considering the drought situation California is experiencing, now more than ever it is critical to address commercial cannabis cultivation and its impacts on our environment."

More information can be found at fs.usda.gov/klamath.

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