Watershed Stewardship Program
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. Known as reclamations, these clean-ups are collaborative operations that remove toxicants and garbage and assess and monitor the impacts of trespass grow sites.
Before and After
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.
Please contact Emma Carlson by calling our office or emailing her directly to learn more about our trespass grow reclamation efforts. 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!
