An excellent California Report story by Lisa Morehouse (a friend) draws a picture of a new group in Mendocino working to eradicate trespass marijuana grows on public or private lands.  The story is compelling.  Jere Melo, former mayor of Fort Bragg and a longtime forester had a passion for keeping forests clear of damaging marijuana grows.  At the time of his death, he erroneously thought he was searching for one of these grows when a mentally ill man, Aaron Bassler, shot him. His widow started up a foundation for expanding his work. 

According to Morehouse,”The Jere Melo Foundation plans to compile research, work with law makers on legislation, and hold community workshops…” as well as put on forums to gather information like one they just put on a week ago.  There, Melo’s widow compared trying to stop these grows to trying to contain a forest fire.  “I think Jere was trying to put a scratch line around the trespass grows,” she said.  “If this was a forest fire there would be no limit to the effort and resources used to put it out. This isn’t a raging forest fire but it is a raging environmental disaster with horrific consequences.” 

Morehouse takes the listener on a tour of one trespass grow and to a community frustrated by the environmental and social damage they cause.

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photo from Morehouse’s story.