The following is a press release issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
On April 29, 2021, wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) served search warrants at two locations in the area of Island Mountain. The first location consisted of three parcels (one owner), which straddled Mendocino and Trinity counties. The second location was a single parcel in Mendocino County.
Support was provided by CDFW Environmental Scientists, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board).
The search warrants were obtained as part of an investigation into illegal cannabis cultivation and environmental crimes. A thorough records check was conducted and none of the locations obtained the necessary county and state permits and state license to cultivate commercial cannabis.
Over 17,000 illegal cannabis plants were eradicated. Numerous environmental violations were documented by CDFW and the State Water Board, which included illegal diversion of surface water for cannabis irrigation, trash, debris and pollutants within 150 feet of waters of the state and unlawful deposition of substances into state waters, which are harmful to fish, plant life, mammals and birds.
Two subjects were detained. Formal complaints will be filed with the Mendocino County District Attorney’s office. No other information is available at this time.
Where does the money come from to finance these huge illegal grows? The illegal grow in Round Valley (Covelo) out across from the dump (heirship property) was so huge they say it could be seen from the moon. That was raided and torn down last summer. It’s still an environmental disaster area. One would be hard pressed to find another property so utterly trashed (except at Biggar and Crawford). It’s a guess but that grow to set up must have cost $100,000 at least. Keep up the pressure. Get em out of here. They are ruining this area, polluting the aquifer, and bad news in general.
It is a mess. It is a crime against nature and all the rest of us who live in this county and we live here because we love living in open spaces. Now I am afraid to walk out very far on my own property for fear there is someone on my property with a grow and that I may discover them. Yes it has already happened that people were growing on our property that even had the balls to divert water from a stream to water their grow which was noticeable in the rest of the creek with it’s severe drop in flow. There is no justice for these people. No law with teeth in it. It is not the true will of the people of Mendocino County to put a stop to this, and THAT is why it continues to get worse. Too many are either silent because they can’t see it affecting them directly, or because they are benefiting from the situation with money. If it was truly the will of the majority of the people in Mendocino County to clean this up, believe me there would be some action.