ALPINE Co., Calif. - Off the West fork of the Carson River, where a lot of families are going right now to pick their Christmas trees, Norma Butler and her hiking friend are enjoying the peace and quiet.
“We like the sound of the river. It's nice and cool, and there's no snow yet,” she said.
But just down the road by Markleeville, local law enforcement says they discovered trash bags full of marijuana paraphernalia dumped among the trees. From the plants to the chemicals, they think this is the remnants of a pot growing operation.
“This is very alarming to me. It shouldn't be around here,” Butler said.
The Alpine County Sheriff say they aren't sure who left this here; however, they're positive the bags will have a lasting impact on the area.
“We're talking pesticides being dumped right there on the ground, it's damaging to our environment, and it's a cause of real concern for us,” Sheriff John Crawford said.
Investigators add what they found in the trash bags is just a symptom of a larger problem.
“We're starting to see this more and more, as you know we've had grow operations in Alpine County, larger grow operations, that we've come across,” Crawford said.
The district ranger for the US Forest Service said this topic was too dangerous to go on camera because they're seeing a surge in pot growths possibly run by the Mexican Drug Cartel. She says for the first time they're even moving into the higher elevations in Nevada, and something needs to be done.
Meanwhile those trying to relax by the river, like Norma Butler, just hope the criminals will leave the Toiyabe forest on their own so the natural beauty can get back to its peace and quiet.
