A marijuana eradication operation on Rainbow Ridge near the City of Mount Shasta last Thursday resulted in the removal of 39,115 plants.
Though four suspects were encountered in the vicinity of the gardens  and two were later spotted  near the City of Mount Shasta, no arrests were made.
The later incident turned into a man hunt, involving law enforcement officers with the California Highway Patrol, the Mount Shasta Police Department, Sheriff’s Deputies and personnel with the Mount Shasta City Fire Department.  They   were unable locate the two suspects, who fled into a meadow adjacent to Interstate 5.
Sheriff Rick Riggins, described the suspects as “Hispanic males wearing camouflage.”  
Eight gardens on site
The site of the illegal operation was on national forest land, approximately three miles northwest of Lake Siskiyou’s North Shore picnic area.  According to the Sheriff’s Department, there were eight separate plantations scattered throughout the brush.
“One of our main concerns is for public safety,” said  Riggins, who was at the helicopter staging area on Lake Siskiyou  for the day long effort.  “This (operation) is very close to a recreation area that sees a lot of use,” he said, also noting that the peak of the harvest in this area typically coincides with deer hunting season. 
Riggins said that in addition to public safety issues, pot gardens on public lands can pose environmental threats, with large grow sites often being  contaminated by fertilizers, chemicals, trash or human waste. 
Riggins reported that current protocols require that the Department of Fish and Game to take samples at grow sites to determine if there has been any environmental contamination.  Oftentimes, extensive clean up efforts are necessary.
Cartels suspected
“We have been investigating this sight since mid-summer,” said Sheriff’s Department Captain Jim Betts. “We are suspecting an Hispanic grow based on the evidence we have so far.”
Betts  referred to such indicators as the growing methods used,  as well as physical evidence removed from the sight. 
Participating in the eradication effort were Sheriff’s Deputies, Forest Service personnel and Fish and Game officers. 
“Some people look (at an eradication effort) like this and say ‘it’s just marijuana and its no big deal,’ but people have to remember that it is part of a huge illegal activity…this is not just about pot, this is organized crime,” said Riggins, who noted that by his department’s estimations, ninety percent of the grows that he deals with involve cartels. 
Riggins reported that during his first year as sheriff   seven years ago, the Marijuana Eradication Team yielded 28,000 plants for the total season. He said that the number was up to 340,000  last year and already this year over 400,000 plants have been confiscated, with harvest season far from over.
An eradication effort near Seiad Valley last month yielded 204,000 plants, making it the largest  bust in the history of Siskiyou County. 
Despite the  trends, Riggins  reported that funding for these operations has been curtailed.     “We’re putting a dent in it but, unfortunately, we’re fighting a losing battle,” he said. 
The Rainbow Ridge operation required a SWAT team to secure the gardens, as well as K-9 assistance.
After the area was deemed safe, eradication team members were hoisted, two at a time, to the steep terrain of the grow sight.  Dangling below the helicopter, the camouflaged deputies were   whisked to the sight in a matter of a few minutes. 
As the deputies harvested the crop, they tallied their yield, with each plant counting as one, regardless of its size.
Sheriff Riggins noted that the cash value of the crops is immense.  “They are making millions…We just don’t have the resources to keep up,” he reiterated.
Medical Marijuana available in Mt. Shasta 
The summer’s high yield pot busts have coincided with the recent introduction of two medical marajuana dispensaries to Siskiyou County, both to them located in the City of Mt. Shasta. 
Commenting on this recent development,   Riggins stated that his office will uphold the law as it is written.
“I have no problems  (with medical marijuana) if it is being used for what voters voted for,” said Riggins.  “The problem is people using the system to make huge profits,” he continued, referring to doctors who he feels are inappropriately recommending  cannabis. “In my opinion, we need to take care of the doctors that are not recommending for real illness.”
Riggins reported that Siskiyou County is taking the state’s position in regards to the amount of marijuana that people with recommendations are allowed to grow and posses. 
According to Sergeant Mike Gilley of the Eradicating Unit, Siskiyou County has adopted the standard limit established under SB 420, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2004 and protects patients from arrest provided they cultivate no more than six mature or twelve immature plants and possess no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana. 
Under the provisions of SB 420, counties and cities are authorized to establish higher (but not lower) limits if they wish.
Riggins said that there  have been arrests in Siskiyou County of people who exceeded their allowed limits. 
 Prime growing country
Long known as a prime region for marijuana cultivation, Siskiyou County, along with neighboring  Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity Counties have long been bastions for pot farming.
This dynamic exists, explained Riggins, because of the climate as well as the remoteness of these regions. Another factor, he added, is the large amount of public land.
The Sherriff’s Department encourages   the public to exercise caution when travelling in remote areas, whether it is public or private land. 
Individuals who encounter gardening supplies, garden hoses, PVC piping, camouflage netting, isolated camps in the woods or any other suspicious activity are urged to leave the area immediately and contact law enforcement.