{"id":52844,"date":"2025-08-24T20:39:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T20:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasquatchnewsonline.com\/?p=52844"},"modified":"2025-08-24T20:39:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T20:39:24","slug":"officials-remove-thousands-of-marijuana-plants-in-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasquatchnewsonline.com\/?p=52844","title":{"rendered":"Officials Remove Thousands of Marijuana Plants in National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A federal law enforcement ranger at the illegal marijuana cultivation site.\/Image: National Park Service<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last week, officials dismantled a large illegal marijuana grow operation concealed deep within Sequoia National Park in California, removing thousands of plants and nearly a ton of hazardous waste that had damaged the wilderness.<\/p>\n

The National Park Service (NPS) reported on Thursday that crews extracted 2,377 mature marijuana plants and approximately 2,000 pounds of trash and equipment from a site affecting about 13 acres of protected California parkland.<\/p>\n

Much of the material was manually removed and airlifted by helicopter by NPS law enforcement rangers and Bureau of Land Management special agents.<\/p>\n

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Authorities noted that the operation showed signs of a sophisticated drug-trafficking network, a problem that has affected Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for nearly two decades. Over this period, officials have eradicated nearly 300,000 plants, valued at an estimated $850 million, from the two parks.<\/p>\n

Law enforcement rangers detected and raided the site in 2024, but were unable to rehabilitate it until this year due to the presence of hazardous chemicals.<\/p>\n

NPS crews returned to complete the removal of the crops and discovered a semi-automatic pistol as well as the presence of the banned insecticide Methamidophos.<\/p>\n

Methamidophos was banned in the U.S. in 2009 due to its high acute toxicity and potential health risks to humans, wildlife, and the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency<\/a> (EPA) identified it as an organophosphate pesticide with significant risks, including neurotoxic effects from exposure, which could potentially lead to serious health issues or death.<\/p>\n

NPS reports the damage to the approximately 13-acre area includes:\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n