Together, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manage over 35 million acres (which is over 35%) of California. For decades our National Forests and BLM lands have suffered from trespass cannabis cultivation. Unfortunately, the federal government's efforts to address the issue have largely failed, leaving thousands of active and inactive legacy grow sites, all of which require reclamation. This activity has resulted in thousands of trespass grows in California and, increasingly, other states as well. You can help fight back!

 

The impacts of these grows include mounds of abandoned garbage and other waste, the profligate use of toxic chemicals (many of which are banned for use in the United States), poisoned and poached wildlife, dams and water diversions, and removal of vegetation. In addition, trespass grow operations often cause fires, including the Dolan fire in August 2020 in the Los Padres National Forest that killed several California condors and caused a debris flow that closed Highway 1. The scope and scale of the problem in California has increased dramatically, greatly exceeding the current ability of federal agencies to address it.

 

This issue also seriously impacts recreationists. Growers have threatened public land users and have even blocked legally-open roads and trails to deter public access. A study in Trinity County found that trespass-grow related chemicals are appearing in the tissue of species like mule deer that are important to hunters and local tribes.

 

What can you do?

 

Please contact your Congressional representatives today urging them to support robust funding for efforts to identify, reclaim, and prevent trespass marijuana grows on public lands, and to ensure that the training of nonprofit and tribal reclamation crews is part of that package.​​

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