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Pioneer Press, Fort Jones, California
Wednesday, September 8, 2004

Vol. 32, No. 43
Page 1, column 1

Salmon River pot raid

-- Marijuana raid nets over 5,000 plants.

By Liz Bowen, assistant editor, Pioneer Press, Fort Jones, California

SALMON RIVER, CALIFORNIA – On Aug. 28, a marijuana eradication helicopter was flown over Big Creek and other areas of this ranger district of the Klamath National Forest at the top of the state.

Later that day, two Mexican men were seen on the North Fork Road of the Salmon River and when arriving  in the small, old mining town of Forks of Salmon, reportedly were asking for directions to Interstate 5.

Klamath National Forest Service Patrol Officer, Jeff Brown, confirmed that many of the illegal marijuana plantations, which are being grown in the Siskiyou area, are manned by citizens of Mexico; including these grows.

The men are brought to this steep mountainous and heavily forested area of Siskiyou County, specifically, to camp for six months, while they plant, grow and harvest marijuana. Providing supplies to the growers has become an intricate business. Reportedly, 55-gallon drums are loaded with food, sealed and rolled off of the side of the roadway at specified locations for pick up by the growers.

Four days after the helicopter surveyed the area, in the early morning hours of Sept. 1, approximately ten vehicles traveled the summits of Forest and Salmon mountains into Salmon River country. Forest Service and Siskiyou County Sheriff Department officers then found a marijuana plantation between mile-post marker five and mile-post marker 10, up the mountain. In all, 1,846 marijuana plants were seized. That evening, the vehicles were loaded with the illegal marijuana and driven out.

Two days later, on Sept. 3, law enforcement officers again traveled to the Salmon River country. Near the first plantation was a second. This time 3,184 marijuana plants were found. These were a shorter, but bushier type of plant.

 In all, more than 5,000 plants were confiscated. At press time on Sept. 6, it is not known if any arrests were made.

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