30,000 marijuana plants seized in Humboldt County

Four days of raiding outdoor marijuana gardens had local law enforcement seizing 30,000 plants with the help of the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.
Throughout the week, CAMP teams eradicated 13,000 marijuana plants from Hoopa Valley tribal land and timber company property; 8,200 plants from California State Parks land and timber company property near Pepperwood; 6,200 plants from timber company property near Blocksburg; and 1,000 plants on U.S. Forest Service property near Orleans, according to a Humboldt County Sheriff's Office press release.
Sgt. Wayne Hanson of the sheriff's office said many outdoor marijuana gardens in Humboldt County are planted on timber company property or public land and are protected by armed growers.
”The reason CAMP exists is to make sure it's safe,” he said. “What if someone goes nature hiking or something and walks onto one of these groves? That's why we're here.”
The raiding teams consisted of personnel from CAMP, the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Task Force, according to the press release.
No arrests were made during the plant seizures, but four men were seen running from a garden Monday near Weitchpec as deputies were lowered from a helicopter, Hanson said. Catching growers is difficult due to the steep terrain and remote areas where the gardens are usually grown.
”Perps always hear our helicopters coming,” he said.
Police found 5,000 plants in the Weitchpec grow along with .380 handgun ammunition, Hanson said.
CAMP is a state-funded program that provides local law enforcement with support and personnel for the missions. Humboldt County couldn't afford to take on the outdoor marijuana grows without CAMP's assistance, Hanson said.
”The cost to Humboldt County without CAMP would be astronomical,” he said. “It costs $800 an hour for the helicopter, plus personnel.”
The sheriff's office does the initial investigation: searching for marijuana gardens via air surveillance and plotting the locations with a GPS device, Hanson said. Then they call CAMP and schedule to raid the grows.
CAMP will continue operations in Humboldt County throughout the summer.