PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MARIPOSA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE THESE ARE SOME OF THE MORE THAN 5,500 MARIJUANA PLANTS ERADICATED IN THE WHITE’S GULCH AREA ON MAY 31. It was a busy week for Mariposa County Sheriff’s deputies as they eradicated a number of marijuana gardens in the county. With help from the Mariposa County Probation Department, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service personnel, local law enforcement seized 35,317 plants.

The gardens were found in various areas of the county. They ranged from Anderson Valley to White’s Gulch and areas in between.

The latest busts bring the season’s plant count to 70,655. Mariposa

County Sheriff Brian Muller said he expects this to be a recordbreaking year for both the number of marijuana gardens and the number of plants seized, which he believes will jump to nearly 150,000. Muller believes the abundance of water and the growing demand for marijuana as reasons for the proliferation of gardens this year.

“The public is reminded to be aware of the potential dangers that exists within our public lands,” Muller said. “Always be aware of your surroundings.”

The sheriff said individuals are encouraged to immediately report any unusual or suspicious activity that they may encounter on public lands.

No suspects were contacted during the latest operations. In recent weeks, a number of arrests have been made in connection with other marijuana gardens. In a number of those, the suspects were armed.

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