Marijuana Grow Sites ‘Endangering’ Public Forests-USDA

Forget the alledged enviornmental impacts of logging..how about growing marijuana?

The USDA-Forest Service have put forth a new study showing the fastest growing threat to public forests is illegal marijuana growing operations.   According to the Forest Service, there are 67  national forests in 20 states where expanding marijuana growing operations are posing "a clear and present danger to the public and the enviornment."-USDA.    In California alone, the Forest Service just finished cleaning up 335 sites alone,  resulting in 130 tons of trash, 5 tons of fertilizer, and 260 miles of irrigation pipe!   It is estimated that to clean up one acre of national forest land from a growing operation takes about $5,000 and another 5k to restore it to it's original state.    Numerous stories in the Northwest have come out recently about marijuana grows broken up, especially in the Oregon wilderness.   Maybe the enviornmentalists can go afte the drug cartels and make THEM pay for the damages, instead of chasing off the loggin industry.  At least they replant and refurbish the land when finished.