More Than 150 Environmental Crimes Documented During Cannabis Enforcement Operation in Trinity County, Says CDFW
[Photos from CDFW]*
During the week of June 26, officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Trinity County Sheriff’s Office and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office collaborated to serve 34 search warrants in the Mad River, Kettenpom and Zenia areas of southern Trinity County. The warrants were part of an investigation into environmental crimes associated with illegal cannabis cultivation.
Additional support for the operation was provided by the California National Guard, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, State Water Resources Control Board and CDFW environmental scientists.
Prior to serving the search warrants, a records check was conducted on the properties to determine what steps may have been taken to secure a state cannabis cultivation license. In all 34 cases, no county permits or state licenses to cultivate or manufacture commercial cannabis had been issued.
When the final numbers were tallied, CDFW scientists who assisted in the operation documented more than 150 environmental violations, including illegal water diversions, large scale illegal grading, sediment discharge to streams, introduction of petroleum products and trash into watersheds, and the use of dangerous rodenticides and pesticides. Many of these violations were directly impacting national forests.
“Our staff and county partners did an exceptional job in conducting these investigations in a very rural area of Trinity County,” said CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division David Bess. “The numerous environmental crimes associated with these operations is staggering but not surprising. Illegal operators of this nature are a detriment to our native fish and wildlife and those legally cultivating cannabis.”
In total, officers eradicated 84,150 illegal cannabis plants and destroyed more than 5,419 pounds of illegally processed cannabis. Six firearms were also seized and one butane honey oil extraction lab was dismantled.
Several subjects were detained, interviewed and later released pending charges with the Trinity County District Attorney’s Office.
Since 2018, CDFW and its partners have eradicated more than 19.2 million illegal cannabis plants and destroyed 918,591 pounds of illegally processed cannabis statewide.
CDFW encourages the public to report environmental crimes such as illegal water diversions, water pollution and poaching to the CalTIP hotline by calling (888) 334-2258 or by texting information to “TIP411” (847411).
Please note: Because of a technical glitch, photos were previously included that belonged to another incident. We’ve replaced the incorrect images with ones from the correct Trinity County Multi agency raid.
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A fine example of the environmental degradation that California may never recover from.
Pot growers always seem to pollute, steal water, kill wildlife and destroy everything around them…
Trinity County in particular is about 10 years behind in its attempt to marginally disrupt this entirely illegal planting of this useless and destructive plant.
Please start arresting these people and seizing land misused in this manner, and hit everyone involved with massive fines…
I’m sorry you were correct until you said useless and destructive plant… That last statement is incorrect! It’s very useful, clothing, paper, medicine, removes toxins from the ground, building materials and the list goes on! At least get your facts straight before you talk.
Well…on the bright side…that should pretty much do it!
All the “illegal” plants have been eradicated now! 😂
Dont forget its a miracle cure. Its cured thousands of ambition and drive. And a preventative It has prevented thousand from learning a useful trade or valuable skillset!!!!! As well as enhance endless hours of video gaming
I guess that’s why Olympic gold-medalists and many other world class athletes use it right?
They use steroids too but i wdnt recommend that either
Yes, I endorse Dash Hemp of Santa Cruz, for their excellent line of clothing and long-lasting quality…
As far as “benefits” from growing marijuana in remote areas while destroying environments and watersheds, forests and landscapes, and polluting entire ecospheres with poisons and chemicals while dumping trash and killing wildlife, cannabis has few peers…
Using cannabis-products is OK with me, and I endorse using 1:1 THC/CBD gummies in small doses for pain and existential angst and feel that these products are effective and indicated in those not wishing to be exposed to pain relievers and anxiolytics.
Many drugs are bad, and some are useless or even harmful, and cannabis should be grown in agricultural regions with adequate water, not out in the forest or in places where water has to be diverted or even trucked in.
Good luck selling what you are advertising, and the folks who grow these toxic products are evil, stupid, and often completely without compassion or thought for what will be left behind…
Hemp and MJ are two separate but related plants. Perhaps you should get YOUR facts straight. Hemp does not have THC
Hemp is cannabis and cannabis is hemp. The idiots in the government made this artificial and totally corrupt decision to classify the two separately.
They are the exact same plant. Cannabis Sativa L.
I don’t condone these illegal pot grows but in comparison to a clear cut the environmental damage they do is almost negledgeable. and in comparison to a vineyard the water usage is a pitance. let’s stop exaggerating the damage done and the profits made. yeah it makes for great puplic support for more law enforcement monies but when they lie and exaggerate about this what else are the LEO telling us that isn’t true in order to get what they want? When 5hey start getting honest they will start to get my respect and support. Until then they’re just a bunch of ye haws with permits to carry guns, steal and trespass on our private property to further their government sanctioned wild west agenda.
But Hey Man- these are WONDERFUL people who are only trying to produce MEDICINE for sick people and HEAL our planet, brother! Cannabis is the HERB of PEACE and UNDERSTANDING. Oh- and LOVE too, man. Like far out, oh yeah…..
Organic.!! Dont forget organic
I like watermelon, but I wouldn’t want to live on most watermelon farms.
Trickle down enforcement.
Environmental degradation is 100% a human condition and might i remind you who pollutes the most?
Yeah, trinity is about 10-30 years behind the times, but increased enforcement will not change things. Sure 34 warrants is something yet it won’t change the overall number of farms or environmental impacts.
The solution is macro economics and these raids are just a side game providing salary and kicks to law enforcement. When it becomes unprofitable to grow then it will slowly stop. Enforcement has never done anything other than raise prices in the short term.
Also, I predict this is gonna be it. Maybe another smaller set of warrants this fall and some more NOVs in the pines and Hayfork, but nothing substantial. If the fires come this fall then the enforcement ends then too.
Massive fines, crack me up, whatcha gonna do, put a lien on their paper bag. Impound that 2021 duramax thats so beat up it might fetch 5 bucks. Dead hole bud, they got the system figured out.
“…California may never recover from.”?
What? Have you been around? LA river? Tulare lake? Hetch Hetchy? Nimitz Freeway? Anything in the Valley between Red bluff and Bakersfield? Have you been here long enough to remember when the pulp mill operated in Eureka? Driving into town, right about where the rendering plant used to be, you’d start smelling a strong coppery cabbage fart smell. Huge industrial operations have been taken back by forests, or floods: Andersonia, Bull Creek, Falk. Our valleys are littered with old apple trees, barns full of fruit boxes, and old 6″ irrigation equipment.
And families who have owned massive acreage, are often noted to have entire barns in remote corners which are crammed with granddad’s old cars…
Ranchers with more than 3000 producing acres, enforce their own law…
Only ass…. growers make the news. I’m innocent of alleged crimes against nature. Growing for over 45 years and boy oh boy, I did my best to stimulate the local economy too.
I heard wind of this massive bust a few weeks ago but didn’t really believe it since I hadn’t seen it on RHBB. 80k plants holy smokes batman!
This is definitely what we need right now – Price support!
No price support needed – the prices never dropped. If you don’t believe this, just as our very own LegalLettuce.
JB
No arrests and only civil fines that the lawyer will fight for them. Bet half at least is already replanted. Police are no better at eradication than they are at anything else. If they can’t even clean up the streets they have no chance in the hills.
Police would be happy to clean up our streets but sadly their hands are tied by our leftist politicians that refuse to allow then to do their job. Vote republican across the board in 2022 and 2024 if you want real change and laws enforced…
Ya Trump n all the other Putin loving re-pube-li-cant’s did such a great job of dividing and Fkn up our country, let’s try that again!
And while we are at it…let’s get rid of the stupid party (dem vs. repub) thing and just be fkn Americans again!
Trump grabbed Putin by the hand and yanked him then smacked him on the back like a punk. Google it. Your out of your mind. Geeeeezus. Your people bow to him. Disgrace 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Huh?
So what do I Google?…Momma’s boy Trump meets V. Putin?
And yes he was a HUGE Disgrace!
Just google sleepy joe giving our oil 2 China, open borders,highest inflation in 4o yrs,who voted 4 this loser!
PRESIDENT TRUMP had the economy rolling!
Bumbling Biden is selling oil to Communist China from our emergency strategic reserve…That’s treason. The price of oil under Biden increased 45%, before Russia invaded Ukraine.
While I’m no Biden fan, you might want to consider the legal definition of treason rather than just making up your own meanings.
Yeah, yeah, “Demlicanz” are two wings of the same bird.
The leadership are all related by marriage.
Go to the same Ivy-League schools.
Get the same high-finance jobs for their children who all live in the same gated-communities.
The wealthy, decision-makers of these Disparate-States, have looted the treasury, rolled back advancement by six decades, locked in military police.
Coming up:
Lowering working-class wages.
Eliminating any social program that does not create complete control over the demographic that is being, “helped.”
Reintroducing extreme, draconian laws for lifestyle choices that do not align with the new Christo-Fascist luddite view of the modern life.
Leadership coming out from behind the curtain, and demonstrating openly that they are fascists. That they are in charge of all aspects of American life for anyone earning less than a million dollars a quarter.
They don’t care about substances. They only care about control.
I see chronic TDS has made you brain-dead…
Sadly, their hands are tied with some looking to be greased. Yer never gonna live to see this state go red. This place is over the hump going down hill and the wheels are gonna come off. You wait.
I tend to agree with you Two Dogs but I try to be optimistic…
Police. Like in Ukiah? What job are “leftists” preventing any of them from doing? beating up a guy for having his license taken by another driver at scene of a fender bender?
That did not happen.
You know….”Leftists!”
The ones who believe in corporate preference over human beings.
The ones who believe in, “Executive Sole.”
The ones who believe in, “Trickle-Down Economics.”
The ones who believe in political parties overriding the choices of human beings to install selected officials in office regardless of election outcomes…..you know…those “Leftists!”
That the tip of their entitled iceberg. Ocasio is a rabid freak.
Then why did the cops in Uvalde do nothing? Police only do what they find entertaining or profitable, because they have no oversight at work and can do what they choose and ignore what they choose. In any job when workers can do whatever they want, they do just that. All the boot licking and unwillingness of people to call out bad Police and accept that it is not bad apples but a tree with rotten roots, is what keeps us in this situation of very few people trusting Police to do anything with integrity. I support good cops but good cops don’t last in law enforcement, they get run out of the club. Here is a link to a former officers youtube trying to inform people of the reality of law enforcement in the U.S.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/c/wethepeopleuniversity&ved=2ahUKEwixnOro2fj4AhUhAzQIHc-JDOUQFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0ErAuU2SXuCGdEAMPFTGQi
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-30/sheriff-clique-compton-station-executioners
Hey, I’m not the Shell Answer Man but I sent the Mayor and Police Chief of Uvalde a scathing letter. They are all cowards in my opinion and should be terminated. Fortunately, a passing Border Patrol Officer stopped and handled the situation for them. I would have rushing in to stop the shooter with my own personal weapon and saved lives. Most LEO’s are great but this situation makes them all look bad. I retired early, as I was also tired of the BS imposed by leftist politicians.
That’s pretty cool.
Not a lot of people actually take the time to address things directly.
Some will say it’s a complete waste of time. But I think it has weight, and purpose. We just can’t always see its effect.
Enforcement has never worked and this time it ain’t no different.
How is it different?
It isn’t different. That’s my point.
But you said, “…this time it [is] different.”
Actual quote: “…this time it ain’t no different.” I hope you don’t re-edit things again.
“Never don’t stop.” -The Peg House. Using a double negative in this statement means, “Stop.”
I apologize, I thought you intended the use of a double negative.
Haha ok, excuse me I’m just some hillbilly who don’t understand proper grammar.
lol no cash was confiscated though…
saxon actually working since it was an election year
More than 150 environmental crimes and those are the best pictures they can provide?
Exactly it’s all bull crap . People go along with and believe the bull crap that fits their views and agenda. These grows are no different than legal grows. Legal grows cheat the water rules, hire foreign illegal workers, sometimes have no proper sanitary bathroom facilities with large amounts of workers living in illegal dwellings. Almost every farm cheats on the track and trace and sell black market.
Oh boy Jim, you ain’t far from the truth. Shit you’re on top of it.
No doubt Jim. I know there are exceptions and to all of you I wish you the best. Every legal farm I know is doing all of that. I find that the most disturbing thing about this fake legalization. One “legal” grow in my Neighborhood has multiple unpermitted buildings, They come and inspect and walk right by them, don’t say a thing or even put out the effort to check. Then at the supes meeting it’s all about the county needs more funds. I figure if you are willing to go legal then you should be all in. It’s all a farce to me. And the don’t smoke it just grow it folks are really scary. I have seen some horrible plant sprays etc because they don’t consume it so who cares. Really sad all the years of hard work have come down to competing with a bunch of A*******
I’m not doing any of that.
But “the Chads are eating my lunch”
Don’t forget, Filling your rain catchment pond from the river in the summer, clearing and leveling several acres of the mountaintop for an airplane runway, the funniest was the large grow acres in spotted owl habitat that ran a large generator, The building inspector was there to look at the complaint and the enormous generator was removed before he came but the farmer forgot to cancel the diesel delivery. The diesel delivery truck and the building inspector arrived at the same time to the property. The truck driver asked the building inpector for directions to the diesel tank and the owner crapping his pants said it must be my next door neighbor and waived him on. Of course nothing happened to any of these violators, legal farmers. The building department won’t do anything since the county is so hard up for cash. The state agencies have been instructed to focus only on illegal grows.
Every week since may 31th TCSO has written code violations in the Pines, they did 9 that I heard yesterday and 6 or more last week. Week or so ago a small airplane was flying a grid pattern over the Pines.
Good. Rumor has it the Asians selling their deps 400$. And there trimmed perfectly. And they grew kushmints and all the sought after poop. Get them☠️☠️
Who do I talk to about these 400$ deps?
You need to go out to the pines or up to weed and you better be ready to buy a couple boxes at a time
Wow, Trinity county is lowering the boom.
I wonder where all the funding came from?
CDFW and waterboard get their funding from cannabis permits (LSAA attachment E and SWRCB cultivation permit fees). They were leading these raids. I think funds also come from state cannabis taxes from white market transactions.
The code violation notices in the Pines is funded by taking money from the county cultivation license fees. The BOS sends the sheriff about 600-800k per year since 2017. Honestly it has never made a difference. It does give deputies a job until the fires start.
I would have liked to see a picture of these claimed rodenticides. They have been milking this one for years without any proof. Why would they only include those three pictures? It just doesn’t making sense
Ah, yes the rodenticide is mostly found at trespass grows where wildlife creeps into the scene. Not to say these guys weren’t using unregistered chemicals, but you’re correct to question the pictures as they don’t show huge issues.
Dewatering streams isn’t good although the trash pile looks decent. I’m still surprised people are using indoor fancy fertilizer for their greenhouse grows. Moves like that will drain the profitability leading to fewer impacts than the raids can muster.
I cannot believe these are the photos they (CDFW) decided to publish to demonstrate the “Environmental Crimes”. I guarantee you that after they ran their skid steers through the greenhouses, they created a bigger mess than when they arrived.
Jim Lahey…you are spot on. No difference here than the legal farms. They just paid to play.
Mr Lahey, Ricky, Bubbles, Randy, and Julian are having a great laugh!
They put the legal kibosh on gold mining for a whole lot less than this.
The state made it a waste of time with all their restrictions…
Wow but the meth labs can stay
any idea where the spring/? photo is w/ the small culvert thanks
Great news, keep it up LEO’s!!!!
Great post below with respect to someone mentioning how it is medicinal and cures many things….”Dont forget its a miracle cure. Its cured thousands of ambition and drive. And a preventative It has prevented thousand from learning a useful trade or valuable skillset!!!!! As well as enhance endless hours of video gaming”
So true, have seen this exact thing happen first hand.
The 20 Continuing education courses for physicians that I took from UCSF School of Medicine make your comment ignorant and laughable.
Oh but you are ssssspecial. Look around mr bookworm i can load several busses with doped out vidiots walking around in their slippers and jammies any weekday you want
I am guessing with all the activity subsiding the budget was blown on holiday overtime. Not sure how he’s gonna get re-elected iffin ya blow your wad so early. The challenger is gonna smash us illegal grows finally, so we hear, not like we ain’t heard that before. Anyways, 4 decades and still counting so put that in yer pipes and smoke it!
Gosh it really has been that long.
Yes and our tables have to many empty seats. Blessings.
When are we going to legalize this shit and put these dirt bags that destroy the environment out of business. let em grow pot in fields like corn. Want to smoke your brains out….go ahead just pay for it yourself and dont ask for tax payer assistance to pay for your habit. I am at the point let em sell meth and fentonal at costco. Go for it. When you OD too bad. When your brain is to cooked to work to bad no govt assistance for you. It becomes a self correcting problem.