UPDATE: Full audio below. The conference starts at the 3:23 minute mark.

Allman Press Conference

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SEE ALSO: $26M of Weed Seized in Island Mountain Raids, Says Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, along with his comrades from Humboldt and Trinity counties, is holding a press conference in Ukiah. The Outpost is teleconferenced in. We’ll be posting the full audio of this conference later this afternoon, but we will live-blog highlights here.

“This was a complaint-driven investigation,” Allman just told conference attendees, naming the operation “Operation Emerald Tri-County.”

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Allman says that a total of 86,578 marijuana plants were eradicated in three counties over a four-day period.

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In Trinity County, people had taken a bulldozer and blocked a road before deputies could arrive. However, law enforcement got out its shovels and unblocked the road.

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“This was the most egregious environmental situation in all three counties,” Allman says. This is why the three counties, along with state Fish and Wildlife, focused on this region for a mass, coordinated raid. 

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A Fish and Wildlife official takes the microphone. He said that saw an “abundance” of illegal activity in the three days he was on scene during the raids, including illegal water diversions and streambed alterations, unlawful grading, with heavy equipment used directly within streambeds.

“It was some of the most devastating things I have ever seen.”

The diverted water could have cooled the low, drought-stricken Eel River, directly below, the official adds, potentially mitigating algae blooms. 

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“In September we are going back to Island Mountain. I believe we will see growing continue,” Allman says.

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Bruce Haney, Trinity County Sheriff, says that “this has been an area of constant concern.” 

Four search warrants were served and 14,000 plants eradicated in Trinity. One criminal case has been filed. One person was arrested.

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In Mendocino, nine search warrants were served and three arrests made — two on Monday, one on Tuesday. No arrests yet in Humboldt County.

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Five National Guard personnel were involved in the raids on both the Humboldt and Mendocino sides of the lines.

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Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey points out that the ammunition recovered in Humboldt County’s part in the raid included .50 caliber rounds — “very heavy,” military-style ammunition, he said.

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Allman says that he will not be releasing addresses or GPS coordinates of the sites raided for the time being. He expects to provide a full review of the operation, including that information and total expenditures involved in the busts, in two months’ time.

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“At least one of the growers is a person who I know has attending many meetings where we have discussed these issues,” Allman said, regarding Mendocino County’s medical marijuana laws and environmental stewardship. This in response to a question asking whether his office had considered simply discussing their concerns about growers in the area.

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Allman believes that these were not trespass grows. The sites were being cultivated by landowners, he says, or by their agents.

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Finally, last update before we post audio: Allman upbraids KMUD for reporting on the convoys early on, and for mistaking a water tender for a “chemical sprayer.” KMUD’s Kerry Reynolds said that she had reported the presence of a convoy but not its direction at 6 a.m. Monday morning, but nothing further. [CORRECTION: Actually, she said that when KMUD was alerted to the presence of the convoy, they were told that it had gone up the hill at 6 a.m., but nothing had gone out over the KMUD airwaves until 9 a.m. or thereabouts.]

Reynolds said that local phone trees might have played a larger role in alerting area residents than Allman had supposed.

The press conference has ended.

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