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By Jackie Valley (contact) 
Published Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011 | 9:47 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011 | 5:18 p.m.
Marijuana field found on Mount Charleston
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Authorities seized thousands of marijuana plants Wednesday while investigating an outdoor grow operation on Mount Charleston, officials said.
Authorities seized thousands of marijuana plants Wednesday while investigating an outdoor grow operation on Mount Charleston, officials said.
Investigators found at least 3,000 — but probably closer to 4,000 — marijuana plants at the site and are airlifting them out, said Kent Bitsko, director of the federal Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. They also found evidence of people camping at the site, which contained a water diversion system to feed the plants, he said.
U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Judy Suing said the 3- to 4-acre marijuana field was discovered by a routine aerial observation team several weeks ago. The location is in the Deer Creek area between Lee and Kyle canyons, she said.
Authorities, including Metro Police, the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the Drug Enforcement Administration, entered the site about 4:30 a.m. to collect evidence, Suing said.
“Our concern with a lot of these marijuana gardens is public safety,” she said.
She said the grow operations damage the environment by diverting water to the marijuana plants, while also harming wildlife and other plants with fertilizers and pesticides.
The area was likely hidden by trees and brush from the recreation area's many hikers. Removing the marijuana and airlifting the plants from the forest is a tiresome process that could stretch into Thursday, Bitsko said.
"It's rugged country," he said. "It's hard to sneak up on (the farms) and it's easy for them to disappear."
Illegal marijuana farms on public land are common in California and some other states, but outdoor growth was largely unheard of in Nevada's desert landscapes until recently, Bitsko said. At least 20 officers from local police agencies have received training in recent months on how to spot outdoor marijuana farms and officials in Sacramento have helped lead the training, Bitsko said.
Law enforcement officials suspect crackdowns in California are pushing the growers into Nevada.
Sarah Pullen, special agent in the Los Angeles field division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said authorities have been seizing more outdoor marijuana grow sites. Last year, authorities dismantled 1,481 outdoor grow sites in California compared to 12 in Nevada, according to DEA data.
The recent increase could mean there’s both more marijuana cultivating sites, many on public land, and better enforcement methods by authorities, Pullen said.
In California, the DEA works with the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement’s CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) program to dismantle operations, Pullen said. A task force including multiple agencies in Nevada works to do the same, she said.
Authorities conduct aerial and ground searches for the cultivating sites, where investigators often find garbage, tents for the site’s guards, chemical dumps and systems diverting water from nearby streams, Pullen said.
“You’d think it would be hard to see from the air, but the color of marijuana plants is so different, they tend to be easier to spot,” she said.
Drug trafficking organizations run most of the larger outdoor growing operations with guards protecting the sites, Pullen said. That setup can make it difficult for authorities to find the suspects responsible.
“It really varies,” Pullen said of arrests made in connection with the sites. “We try very hard to find them, but often the individuals at the locations are just paid to stay there.”
Bitsko said no suspects had been identified as of Wednesday afternoon in connection with the Mount Charleston site.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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"Our concern with a lot of these marijuana gardens is public safety" Public safety?...their concern is not that 4 acres of pot is a felony? I would thing that would be their primary concern. But no, can't have us tripping over pesky non-native plants.
Unbelievable that marijuana is still illegal. When are we going to base our social policies on facts and science instead of rhetoric, religion, propaganda and political two stepping? To all the agencies involved in the bust: We know. We know what you do is a joke. Weed doesn't kill. You do. You lock up our loved ones to feed the prison industrial system. We know you get $$$ for the failed war on drugs budget. We know you get $$$ from confiscating property. We know you like to play bad ass and dress up in paramilitary outfits and carry semi automatic weapons to bust people growing harmless plants. You are a joke like the policy you enforce.
Hey Tina, try having a son who's always so 'out of it' from marijuana and you might sing a different tune :(
Comment removed by moderator. Referenced comment that has been deleted.
3-4 acres? Holy Shnikees!!! There has to be significant evidence of activity around there for a swath of land this large.
Regardless of the question of whether or not it "should" be legal:
1) It is trespassing
2) It is currently illegal
3) The fertilizers are very toxic
4) Whoever was doing this was not doing it for medicinal purposes or to grow their own personal stash. This was done to profit.
You can bet there will be more to come on this operation. Any crop that large needs continous attention. If nothing else irrigation by itself is a problem on any farm growing whatever...Yes, there will be more to come. This is when we need a strong judicial system... which we do not have.
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tax and charge acreage rent! Can use the stems for string (hemp). quite a green operation, I thought the USA subsides that..
All those day hikes up to Mary Jane falls and I bet none of us knew to look around and grab us some loot.
In all seriousness, a public safety concern? How? There's probably more hiking and other outdoor accidents that are a public safety concern up there than anyone could ever harm themselves with a few doobs.
But I do think I figured out what Tinaa's beef is with the Clark County Detention Center.
I love that the story put the area of where the plants are and that that officials are going up there to "collect evidence"...
I bet there will be quite a few people making the trek up to Mt. Charlesto to "collect evidence".
bet the cops will be stashing some samples to go home with them
Dope users are funny people because ..
They cry for legalization of their 'habit'
They stick up for their dealers [Cole?]
They want dope to be legalized and taxed so "THE KIDS CAN BE EDUCATED"
Butt..when they walk past a burned out druggie they shake their heads in pity or disgust..
And they squeal like little piggies when these drug burnout 20 and 30 somethings are getting S.S.I. and medicaid FOR LIFE!
When running a Slave Operation, the last thing you want are substances which could in anyway expand a slave's mind and creativity. Instead you want to promote depressants like alcohol and prescription drugs.
I guess here in Nevada we don't want a strong economy. Instead we cater to the stupid Liquor Lobby and irresponsible Tavern Owners.
To the person with the kid who is "out of it", sorry but if it was not pot it would be and probably is other things. Billions have consumed pot and are not "out of it". Stop blaming an herb for likely you being "out of it" as a parent.
Tina,
Every time there is a bust many will post :Why is it not legal".
Well, why don't the voters make it legal? Get it on the ballot and make it legal. Why complain when you have the power to change it.
Legalize everything.
they goes my weekend hiking trip up there.
Air observations along with the usage of an anonymous tip callers hot-line to the Las Vegas police department should help to deter citizens who wish to continue in the illegal growing of marijuana both indoors & outdoors.
For individuals involved in helping to protect or guard these massive fields, you will find that most are heavily armed and quite prone to setting booby-traps for those who may venture or hike within the perimeter of their fields.
The color of marijuana is significantly different from any other green vegetation upon the ground, and as mentioned in the above article can be easily spotted. But, not all who are trained will make the best observer, as it will take someone special who has a keen eye, absolute patience, and the ability to immediately spot plants that have been camouflaged or planted in such a way as to blend in with the natural terrain and landscape of the area.
Legalize it, tax it. What a waste of law enforcement resources.
"Our concern with a lot of these marijuana gardens is public safety," she said."
tinaa, James_P -- what you guys said!
What is truly amazing is this proof of bloated police budgets in serious need of chopping. Airlifting plants that can grow anywhere, all that training from far away, so much of publicly-provided resources that are supposed to be scarce. Instead, how about just leaving people alone who aren't hurting anyone??
"The struggle for liberty has been a struggle against Government. The essential scheme of our Constitution and Bill of Rights was to take Government off the backs of people." -- Columbia Broadcasting Sys., Inc. v. Democratic Nat'l Comm., 412 U.S. 94, 162 (1973), Justice Douglas concurring
pmart -
interesting concern, but can you show us some stats on how many potheads are total worthless burnouts or "druggies" as you put it, and collecting social welfare? I think one would find that alcoholism, untreated mental illness, and prescription drugs are far greater social ills based just on the numbers alone, not to mention things like heroin and other opiates, cocaine in all its forms, and perhaps the granddaddy of them all: meth.
on a lighter note, I wonder if theres a way to track a potential surge in visits to Mt. C over the next few days? lol.....
Johnny Potseed strikes again.
Adults should be allowed to grow marijuana plants on their private property. You wouldn't have huge marijuana fields popping up on public property and you wouldn't have to waste police resources busting people for these victim less "crimes". Oh well this bust is good for the pigs, you know they're smoking it up tonight.
prisons and legal system making a good living
locking folks up for toking.
jobs are at a premium these days.
if you have to sock somebody away for growing a
little pot...well so be it.
Wow, we could all have a great, really mellow campfire and eat s'mores & popcorn afterwards. LOL
Big pharma will never allow pot to be legalized if they can help it.
"Adults should be allowed to grow marijuana plants on their private property."
VladRad -- actually, it's the other way around, this republic being founded on "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The concept of what our rulers "allow" us to do is one big reason why the Revolutionary War. Check the Declaration of Independence for that -- I believe enjoying the benefits of a natural botanical gift from the Creator would qualify as "pursuit of happiness." So long as you're not hurting somebody else, government lacks rightful authority.
"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." -- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Isaac H Tiffany (1819)
It is very profitable for the mafia and others whatever they are called these days. Hmmm - wonder how you say that politically acceptable? The other thing is that the prison industry loves it because it keeps the prisons full. And the whiskey industry has to be in seventh heaven because they have a monopoly on destroying people's lives through legal drugs. Face it, prohibition didn't work and its remnants in the drug industry figure out how to keep it going. Have a Coke - too bad it doesn't have cocaine in it. Can't get it past the voters because the Tea Party and others are better at harvesting the know nothing vote.
Excellent work! Now we can keep buying our drugs from the violent Mexican cartels, the way God intended.
kev john -
funny and poignant comment. I agree. however, I wonder if perhaps this is the work of the mexican cartels. we know they are here and they are among us.
How much is this "airlift" operation costing the US gov't when it is already borrowing 46cents for every dollar it spends? Wouldn't the money be better off spent elsewhere. Not to mention the taxes that could be collected off the sale of the marijuana as well. Just sayin'.