Growing pot along Highway 36? Relax, those helicopters and ground crews working in the area are no more interested in busting your garden then you are in having it busted. [Okay, maybe they’re not as motivated as you are but you get my drift.]

From Mark Lovelace County Supervisor comes the following reminder:

Contractors for IP Networks’ Highway 36 broadband project are using helicopters as they work along the PG&E transmission lines in the area between Bridgeville and Ruth Lake (see map above.)  These line crews are aware that the presence of helicopters and ground crews in the vicinity of large marijuana grows may raise concerns, so they want the community to know that they are not interested in the grows and are just trying to do their job. [Translation: Please don’t shoot at us. Deeper Translation:  Holy Mother of Cannabis, there are some humungous pot gardens out in this neck of the world!]

The IP Networks project will provide a second high-speed internet connection for our area by running 127 miles of fiber-optic cable along the PG&E easement between Highway 5 and Eureka.  This will keep our area connected even if the existing line gets broken or interrupted as has happened many times in the past, most recently this past August.  The project will also connect several un-served and under-served communities along the way including Wildwood, Mad River, Ruth and Bridgeville, delivering service to 527 rural households over a 218 square-mile area. [Translation: We come in peace. Deeper Translation:  If you shoot us, people will be mad.]

These helicopters and crews work for 3-Phase Line Construction, IP Networks’ primary contractor.  As they work through the area, residents should expect to see helicopters pulling cables and dropping off line crews, along with trucks and ground crews accessing the PG&E easement.  3-Phase crews hope to complete their work in this area by October 2nd.  Until then, their crews will be working from 7am to 7pm, Monday through Friday, and occasionally on Saturdays. [Translation:  We’ll be gone soon. Deeper Translation: It’s nerve wracking working by big gardens when everyone has heard stories about how pot growers shoot people who come near their stuff.  We’re getting out of here fast.]

For The Great Green Mother of Humboldt’s Prosperity’s sake, please, please don’t even look unfriendly to these guys.  Look, I know you aren’t interested in harming them and bringing trouble down just as you’ve almost got your crop to harvest but they don’t. We need their cable. Smile, wave, and don’t pull your plants before their time.

UPDATE: Mary-Lou L. Smulders of IP Networks, inc. said, “The foggy weather of the past few days has prevented us from flying the helicopters.  Therefore, I expect that we will be working most Saturdays as well as many Sundays to stay on schedule.”