Trespass Grow Reclamation

Protecting Humans and Wildlife

Trespass grows are sites where cannabis is illegally grown on public lands.

Often large-scale operations with plant counts numbering anywhere from 1,000-100,000, these grows are largely funded and operated by drug trafficking organizations and are a serious threat to the health of national forests in California.

Common issues seen on trespass grows:

  • Cut vegetation contributing to erosion

  • Diverted surface water that dewaters streams and disrupts aquatic habitats

  • Potent pesticides that poison animals throughout the food chain

  • Garbage, chemicals, human waste, and non-biodegradable materials polluting our public lands

Addressing the damage caused by trespass cannabis grow sites is essential to protecting the health of our public lands. The Integral Ecology Resource Center (IERC) has pioneered efforts to address these problems through trespass grow site clean-ups. 

The before image displays a mess of old, abandoned trailers and scattered trash, including buckets, bottles, and debris, with one trailer having the word 'WELCOME' spray-painted on it. The after image shows a pristine forest clearing, with no trash.

Before and After

Litter and trash scattered on the forest floor among trees, including plastic bags, bottles, and food containers.
Two people pick up trash in a wooded area, using tools for collecting litter and filling black trash bags.

Just one clean-up operation spanning seven sites within the Trinity River watershed removed: 104 pounds of rodenticide, 8,188 pounds of fertilizer, 8.5 miles of irrigation line, 560 gallons of insecticide, 68 ounces of concentrated carbofuran (equaling 60-70 gallons in diluted form), and 205 fifty-gallon bags of garbage, weighing in at 4 tons. To date, over 36 tons of trash has been removed from the Trinity Pines/Post Mountain community.

Volunteers make a difference

Local volunteers, contractors, and Watershed Center staff have removed over 36 tons of garbage and refuse, including abandoned cars and trailers, from USFS lands over the course of two years. Astrid Dobo, Post Mountain Volunteer Fire Department Chief, describes the impacts to the landscape from illegal trash dumping and offers solutions to prevent future resource damage.

We regularly schedule volunteer clean-up events, expanding and expediting our efforts to maintain healthy watersheds. You can help make a tangible, positive impact on the landscape by joining one of these volunteer days!

VOLUNTEER
A group of people gathers outdoors in a forest, listening to a woman giving a safety lecture. Some hold papers. Tall pine trees fill the background.
A volunteer wearing a face mask, gloves, and camouflage jacket collects trash and plastic waste from a dump site on public land.
People load gear onto a black trailer attached to a truck in a forested area with trees and parked vehicles in the background.
Two people collect trash in a forested area, each holding a large black trash bag.
Three people participate in a trash cleanup, collecting litter like plastic cups and utensils at a dump site on public land.
A weathered, yellow, plastic spray bottle hanging from black netting is suspended by a gloved hand. The bottle is covered in holes, dirt, and damage, with its label partially torn.