Yosemite Rangers with the help of state and local law enforcement personnel raided 4 illegal marijuana farms in and around the park netting an estimate $43 million in marijuana plants.
NPS: “On the 26th and 27th of September 2007, approximately 30 law enforcement officers from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, the US Forest Service, the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (CAMP), and Yosemite National Park raided four illegal marijuana cultivation sites. Three of the cultivation sites were located on the Sierra National Forest/ Yosemite National Park boundary between the Wawona Road and the South Fork of the Merced River. The fourth site was a short distance outside the park in the Sierra National Forest.
A total of 14,536 plants valued at over 43 million dollars were seized. Law enforcement officers from the US Forest Service made two arrests during the raid, one an adult male and one 17-year-old juvenile. Both are Mexican nationals.
Large-scale marijuana cultivation is a problem which continues to plague land management agencies and Sheriff’s departments state-wide.”