NICE, Calif. – An area that residents say has become a hotbed of illegal marijuana cultivation was raided on Wednesday, with plants pulled and county officials issuing abatements to stop camping activities that are giving rise to health and safety issues.
The Lake County Sheriff's Marijuana Suppression Unit and the Community Development Department participated in the operation, which took place on Harding Drive, located off Pyle Road in Nice, according to Community Development Director Rick Coel.
Sgt. Steve Brooks said there were four to five grow sites involved, with about 400 marijuana plants pulled and several arrests.
Brooks said the sheriff's office will be releasing more information on the operation's specifics.
Lake County News has received reports from residents of the area describing illegal growing activity that has taken over the hills, making it too dangerous to walk, hike or ride ATVs.
The reports from residents mention motor homes, tents and newly installed water tanks showing up in large numbers, as well as people who indiscriminately drive across property in order to stake out grow areas, strangers carrying guns and hundreds of plants.
Coel, who was on the scene Wednesday, called the Harding Drive situation “the typical outdoor marijuana cultivation operation on undeveloped land.”
While the Marijuana Suppression Unit led the operation, Community Development Department staff was there to address the RV occupancy and camping, as well as the environmental issues, Coel said.
He said they found an occupied pickup truck with a camper shell on one side of the main grow site, and someone camping under a tarp on the other side of the site.
Community Development staff also took part in order to determine what will be needed to clean up the property and what process to use, Coel said.
There was raw sewage in a tributary stream and garbage left around the property. Coel said the growers had no sanitation facilities or onsite water supply.
He said there were other problems, but the sewage and garbage were among the most immediate problems that necessitate a 48 hour Community Development summary abatement process.
Coel said Supervisor Denise Rushing granted him permission to initiate the summary abatement for the immediate health and safety violations.
He told Lake County News that his department had abated the same Harding Drive site last year due to garbage left behind from a previous cultivation operation.
Also on Wednesday, a sheriff's deputy provided security for a Community Development staffer who visited several other growers in the area and posted 48 hour summary abatement notices on their trailers and motor homes, Coel said.
He said the county was going to start impounding RVs that are being occupied on undeveloped properties where marijuana cultivation is taking place throughout the county.
“There are huge health and safety risks from raw sewage and open campfires, and this simply cannot be tolerated,” Coel said. “The cumulative environmental impacts of all of these grows is significant.”
Coel said his staff is committed to assist the sheriff's office “in any way we can,” adding, “we greatly appreciate the work that they are doing.”
On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors directed Coel to bring back a draft interim urgency ordinance later this month in order to deal with marijuana cultivation-related issues, including grow sites on undeveloped properties like those encountered in the Harding Drive operation.
Coel said an interim ordinance banning cultivation on undeveloped properties is being recommended for approval by the Board of Supervisors at its meeting Tuesday, June 26.
“If approved it will be a tremendous help to law enforcement efforts, and likely streamline the enforcement process,” Coel said.
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