Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties collide at Island Mountain

Readers and numerous news sources are buzzing with word of a multi-agency raid occurring in the Island Mountain area at the intersection of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties, the dark green heart of the Emerald Triangle. Law enforcement are reportedly on scene at multiple sites and sources tell the Ukiah Daily Journal that there could be more than 100,000 plants eradicated today. 

The Outpost spoke with Lieutenant Wayne Hanson, with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, who confirmed that his agency is serving warrants on his side of the county line while the Mendocino Sheriff’s Office is performing operations on their side. The grow ops are suspected to be benefitting from significant diversion of stream water (see press release at the bottom of this post).  

“It’s always been our philosophy to target commercial marijuana growers who are destroying the environment. It’s an epidemic down there. People have total disregard for the watershed, and the fertilizers they use are going into the streams and into the watershed,” said Hanson. 

“I think we got the lion’s share of the the work, unfortunately. Nothing to be proud of,” DTF Lieutenant George Cavinta told The Outpost. We should have more on this later. In the meantime, KMUD News has photos of the convoy:

# # #

UPDATE: Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office press release:

On 06-22-2015 at 7:00 AM Deputies from Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino Counties began serving several search warrants in the Island Mountain area associated with large scale marijuana cultivation sites.

Personnel from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were assisting Deputies as it was suspected that situations of water diversion, water theft and environment degradation would be discovered.

Specific details of the search warrant services will be released on 06-23-2015 as information becomes available.