Officials: pot garden discovered at Sierra Nevada National Park (at least $36 million). After the pot garden was discovered, a Sierra Nevada National Park exhibit closed. At least $36 million?? Read the story, and see photos and video here.
As wild as it may sound, the problem is occurring with increasing regularity. Just a week ago, firefighters in Santa Barbara’s Los Padres National park began battling an enormous wild-fire sparked by campers hired to manage another pot growing operation. As of last week, that fire had burned an area stretching more than 136 square miles.
Drug enforcement officials say the increasing problem stems from a crackdown across the border by the Mexican Army, which has pushed the armed drug cartels northward into United States territory. The number of operations uncovered usually increases this time of year due to the typical harvest dates of September through October.
This week’s bust in California is one of the largest yet, and is the first time Sequoia National Park had to close down an exhibit as a result of a drug bust. Sadly, that exhibit is a well-known cave, with a crystal-covered interior.
Authorities discovered the massive pot garden only about a half-mile away from the popular cave. Park Rangers repelled from helicopter to clear out the site, which included trash, propane tanks, and thousands of feet of irrigation hose. Much of the pot garden had already been harvested, but combined with the remaining plants was estimated to be worth at least $36 million.
Even though Sierra Nevada National Park is known for its gargantuan Sequoia trees, the cave itself also draws many visitors.
Beth Fritsch, who was visiting the park from Maryland, told the AP:
“I’m fine with the trees, but I really wanted to see the caves. It’s sad to see that this is happening now inside the national parks.”
Far from a mere inconvenience, though, the pot growing operation has environmental and financial consequences. Park officials say the estimated loss in cave ticket sales could rise to $35,000 before the investigation is complete.
Spokeswoman Adrienne Freeman, spoke about the damage to native species that can occur, saying:
“…what’s worse, this pot has been growing next to a sensitive area where there are dozens of species at risk that are only in this park.”
All of the materials discovered will be examined for fingerprints and other evidence that could lead authorities to the individuals responsible for the $36 million pot garden at Sierra Nevada National Park.
What are your thoughts on this problem? Voice your opinion in the comments section below.
I’ve included a CNN video about the issue below.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:46 am
what ever you call that thing as long as it makes you feel better do it! no one stops you! just dont get caught and tell it to no one!
August 31st, 2009 at 10:46 am
Realy, the person who mailed and said lets just obey the law is stupid. Pot is not going away. They should of kept it and sold it and made the money and it could be taxed. I bet the town that cut it up and thru it away is saying beneath their breath,,, “holy crap we could of made a lot of money for out town”. How many guys stuffed a few buds in their coat.Why shut down the park?? Let it be grown and tax it. We could use it for fuel and so many other things. cloths are made out of hemp and we import it instead of being allowed to grow it and use it for lots and lots of things. Lets all grow up a little and look ahead.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:54 am
It seems to me the good people of Visalia should harvest the crops and sell the weed. The feds really need to change their laws and stop criminalizing Cannibas. I do not agree with illegals using our land for profit by the way. But since it is there and growing, why not let the forestry people finish it and sell it for the “$36 million” they say it is worth. Whether medicinal or recreational, there is a lot of benefit for many many Americans. Legalizing Marijuana would reduce the cartel coming in from Mexico, BECAUSE AMERICANS CAN GROW THEIR OWN!!! And, like the CNN interview shows, the forests are some of the best places to grow-this could lead to some jobs for people and tax revenue for the gov and all their programs/debt. WE in California have afforded ourselves the right to use/possess/grow our own MJ under SB420/prop215. Look up the info and see what rights we have voted for our state. The rest of the country will follow if the 80% of Americans polled who WANT LEGAL POT would vote it in.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Just legalize the dam stuff!!! Alcohol is much worse and it is legal. So lets just legalize it and make life safer by taking this out of the control of criminals, drug cartels, and off the streets. Tax it and control it. We obviously have no control over it now since the majority of people I know do it or have done it. Pot is not like major mind altering drugs like alcohol, LSD, Heroin, etc., for the everyday smoker it is similar to smoking a cigarett or just being tired. People are exhausted from working as much as we need to so we can survive and make ends meet…which causes as much or more danger on our roads than being messed up on drugs/alcohol. In response to driving, drivers in the U.S. are some of the worst in the world! We don’t need to focus on what we don’t do behind the wheel, we need to focus on driving and driving well. We can’t do that when everyone is doing their own thing on the road and creating obsticles and frustrations for other drivers. Driving on our roads is like walking through the grocery store with a shopping cart! FRUSTRATING!!
From the west. JS
August 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am
August 31st, 2009 at 5:25 am
God also created Jeffrey Dalmer “Harleydude”. You wouldn’t have wanted to live next door to him in his “prime” would you. Just because God created it…..doesn’t mean he gives you permission to use it. Maybe you should catch up on some reading.
It was awfully thoughtful of you to read my comment and judge me.
SHANNON YOU ARE RIGHT, I BET YOUR COUSIN ATE THE FRIST APPLE, STUPID RUNS IN YOUR BLOOD LINE, YOU MAKE NO SENCE @ ALL, SIT BACK ROLL A BLUNT & LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR…
August 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am
YO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE WANT ITS A FREE COUNTRY AND SO STOP BITCHING ABOUT THE BUD BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ALL OF YALL BITCH ASS NIGGAS SMOKE THAT SHIT…………
August 31st, 2009 at 11:02 am
Mexican Drug Lords love the National Recreation Parks. They can go in as a visitor with camping trailer and then rip the trailer apart and use them for the elaborate pot growing farm. Its seedings can be hidden in coffee cans and so forth. They had the park rangers and border patrols fooled.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:04 am
I am amazed that the crackdown at the boarder is causing the cartels to go further north into the U.S.. I would think they would go more south to a better climate. Those plants were probably already growing before the crackdown and by our own citizens who really don’t want to buy pot from Mexico’s cartels….those who oppose the legalization of Marijuana should take some of the blame too as this natural substance/herb could already be legal to use if the truth be known. The starting of fires to occupy the authorities is not a new “trick” someone just thought of,it happens wherever pot is growing so it makes more sense to have someone write a well thought out bill to get intelligent voters to vote on legalizing it. Not everything is “okay” but somethings are better than others by far…
August 31st, 2009 at 11:06 am
BTW-did I mention that between the years of 2003-2005 marijuana produced $35 billion in the US alone. Corn was next at $23 billion and so on down the chain. To top it off, Marijuana is the only crop that is illegal where the rest were “legally” produced agriculture. Funny that so many people won’t admit that the appetite for Marijuana MASSIVE!!! As Peter Tosh wrote-LEGALIZE IT!
August 31st, 2009 at 11:08 am
The one thing I can say is that if it were legalized, the people would be more dumb than they are now. That would enable the government to have even MORE of a reason to take over and sanction every aspect of our lives. Now don’t get me wrong, I dont mind weed. In fact, I like it. ALOT. Like it was said before, the american peope need to wake up and realize that the government doesn’t care about you. Their only purpose is to advance their own agendas.