Sequoia National Park Marijuana

Weed whacking has taken on a whole new flavor at Sequoia National Park, as the park completes a monthlong project to restore natural conditions to 180 acres damaged by marijuana growers. Marijuana growing in the park has increased dramatically. In 2001, 5,000 plants were discovered, and last year, 44,000 plants with an estimated street value of $170 million were found. Crews last month removed more than 2 tons of garbage and eight miles of irrigation hose in two watersheds used by illegal growers, park spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet says.

Weed whacking has taken on a whole new flavor at Sequoia National Park, as the park completes a monthlong project to restore natural conditions to 180 acres damaged by marijuana growers. Marijuana growing in the park has increased dramatically. In 2001, 5,000 plants were discovered, and last year, 44,000 plants with an estimated street value of $170 million were found. Crews last month removed more than 2 tons of garbage and eight miles of irrigation hose in two watersheds used by illegal growers, park spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet says.

More than 100,000 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $400 million were seized in the first 10 days of California's eradication program, the state attorney general's office said. The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, was begun by the state Department of Justice on Aug. 4 and will continue through October. "With at least 100,000 plants destroyed in less than two weeks, I think we're well on our way to breaking our records," said CAMP commander Val Jimenez.