Photo By 1st Lt. Brianne Roudebush | A member of the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force supporting Operation...... read more read more
TULE RIVER, Calif. – The multi-agency team hiked up steep mountainsides, climbing over fallen branches and crawling through thickets of Manzanita. Dirt clung to sweat-soaked faces as the sun beat down overhead. Eventually, the GPS indicated they had reached their destination: an old campsite used by illicit marijuana growers. Stoves, tarps, tents, clothes and all kinds of trash littered the site.
The team, assembled in support of Operation Tule on the Tule River Indian Reservation, worked tirelessly for four days Aug. 25-28, eradicating illicit marijuana plants and restoring tribal lands.
Although eradication and reclamation operations have been conducted on the reservation before, the serious depletion of the tribe’s water supply due to the drought, compounded by the thousands of gallons of water used by marijuana plants, called for an operation of a much larger magnitude. Personnel from 13 agencies including the Tule River Tribal Police, Tule River Natural Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force worked together in an effort to combat the environmental destruction caused by illicit marijuana cultivation.
“There is usually water flowing all the way to the reservation entrance, but it’s all dried up,” Ryan Garfield, the vice chairman of the Tule River Tribal Council, said. “This is the first time in my lifetime that I’ve ever seen that part of the river dry.”
The Tule River is the source of 80 percent of the tribe’s water. Dams, reservoirs and diversion to marijuana grow sites has drastically affected the tribe’s supply. One of the main objectives of the operation was to remove the illegal infrastructure in order to restore water flow along the river.
“Especially in the current times of drought, the Tule Tribe [was] desperately affected,” Capt. Nate Arnold with the Department of Fish and Wildlife said. “It caused a great need to take immediate action and the department is dedicated to fighting this issue.”
Ten miles of pipes used to divert water and 12,000 pounds of trash were removed from the sites. The team also found several types of fertilizer and pesticides that contaminate and pollute the environment.
Garfield said all that trash eventually ends up in the rivers and there is no telling when the effects will be seen in the wildlife.
The tribe is very concerned about this issue, Arnold said. “They’re not just going to sit by and watch their community and land deteriorate.”
Not only does illicit marijuana cultivation harm the environment, it also presents a safety concern for members of the tribe. There have been instances of people accidentally stumbling upon a grow site. It is especially dangerous in areas frequented by kids because growers often carry weapons, leave out hazardous material and set traps around the sites.
The tribe recently approved high-country rangers to patrol the mountains on a more regular basis in an effort to catch growers and prevent people from using their lands illegally.
“At one point, it was safe to go camping and hiking up there,” Sgt. Paul Vizcano, interim Tule River Chief of Police, said. “We want to get back to that. Hopefully our presence out here this week sent a message – people better think twice because this isn’t something we tolerate.”
He said cleaning up and reclaiming some of the land for the community members is a step in the right direction.
For Vizcano, the biggest take-away from this operation was the experience they gained and the contacts they established with different agencies to be able to continue conducting reclamation operations on their own throughout the year.
Capt. Sabino Martinez with the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force echoed Vizcano’s sentiments adding that, “The biggest milestone is the partnership and being able to introduce the Tule River Tribe to members of the law enforcement community that they had not previously worked with. A newly formed coalition is the biggest success story for us.”
Each agency brought their own expertise to the table whether it was having in-depth knowledge of the land, understanding how to successfully eradicate and restore a site, or providing security and law enforcement capabilities to the team. Everyone’s involvement was beneficial.
“I’m overwhelmed by what has already been accomplished,” Vice Chairman Garfield said. “Ultimately, the tribe is the winner here and I’m more than happy with the huge success.”
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2014 19:04 |
| Story ID: | 140987 |
| Location: | TULE RIVER, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 399 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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