Massive pot farm discovered: Officials say raid is second largest in Shasta County

[bmello]

SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FOREST — Officials are calling a raid this week on a marijuana garden north of Lake Shasta the second largest on record in Shasta County.
Officers with the Shasta County Marijuana Eradication Team, U.S. Forest Service and the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting were expected to destroy more than 35,000 plants by the time the operation finished, Shasta County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim McDonald said Tuesday.

Since Monday, about 40 county, state and federal agents have destroyed at least 21,000 marijuana plants in the Fenders Ferry and Salt Mountain area.

McDonald said aerial photos show plots of marijuana stretching over three miles.

The operation was expected to continue today.

Some of the plots are nearly 20 acres across and are supplied with water by an intricate, gravity-fed irrigation system.

McDonald said the pot growers effectively "scalped mountaintops."

"It’s pretty amazing," McDonald said. "It’s like they clear-cut ridge lines. It’s planted like in cornrows."

A command post was set up on Gilman Road, four miles east of the McCloud River Bridge on Lake Shasta.

McDonald said the operation was far enough away from the nearby McCloud River that it would not disturb the ongoing Winnemem Wintu coming-of-age ceremony.

The largest raid in Shasta County occurred last year. McDonald said a raid north of Redding, near Hirz Mountain and Salt Creek, netted nearly 100,000 plants.

Previously, the largest marijuana garden in Shasta County had been 34,000 plants, found in Manton in 2003, McDonald said


By Ryan Sabalow, Record Searchlight
July 12, 2006

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

As usual another major crop bites the dust. Thanks for the read bmello although it's a sad read.

 

[skootog]

The best use of our tax dollars, no doubt!

 

[rockydog]

yeah we dont have homeless people, starving children, or anything like that. Instead of helping them, lets build weopons of mass destruction and terrorize our own people with the war on Marijuana.

 

[Hick]

That's a bunch of marijuana!! ..
Strange, no mention of arrests. It seems usually, a crop of that size is associated/propogandized by the press, as connected to gang activity or illeagal aliens and presents a perfect oppurtunity for them to promote the image of mj users and cultivars as "criminals, ne'er do wells, DOERs of EVIL"
Both furthering their cause and allowing them to recieve more "allocated" moneys from government erradication funds.
"aerial photos show plots of marijuana stretching over three miles." ....."scalped mountaintops."...."It’s like they clear-cut ridge lines. It’s planted like in cornrows."
sounds like a conspiracy to me, or a helluva' distraction ploy. Who, in their right mind would believe thy could possibly clear cut and grow a 3 mile stretch of mj on a mtn top in CA?..

 

[Mutt]

Shasta County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim McDonald
Previously, the largest marijuana garden in Shasta County had been 34,000 plants, found in Manton in 2003, McDonald said

Sorry can't help it. Its right there just waiting for it.

music:
"old McDonald had a farm eieio"
"and on the farm he had some weed eieio"
" with a puff puff here and a puff puff there"
"here a puff there a puff"
(well you get the idea)

 

[ReeferMadness]

35,000 plants..dead..

That's sad.