The following is a press release issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:
On May 11, 2021, wildlife officers with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) served a search warrant on the 1400 block of Buckhorn Road in Willits. Support was provided by a CDFW Environmental Scientist, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and Mendocino County Code Enforcement.
Prior to serving the search warrant, a thorough records check was conducted on the property to determine what steps may have been taken to secure a state license. In this case, no state license to cultivate commercial cannabis had been issued. An application to cultivate cannabis at the property had been previously denied by the County of Mendocino.
Environmental violations and impacts observed at the property included:
– A manmade dam that was impounding the natural stream flow
– An illegal water diversion that was used to irrigate cannabis plants
– Sediment placed where it can pass into waters of the state
– Unpermitted stream crossings
– Cultivation areas with deleterious materials located near waters of the state
Over 4,100 illegal cannabis plants were eradicated and over 75 pounds of processed cannabis was destroyed.
A formal complaint will be filed with the Mendocino County District Attorney’s office. No other information is available at this time.
