Originally published August 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified August 16, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Pot worth $48 million destroyed in raid near Ross Lake
More than 16,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $48 million were destroyed as law-enforcement officers from nine agencies raided a marijuana farm in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.
Seattle Times staff
More than 16,000 marijuana plants worth an estimated $48 million were destroyed as law-enforcement officers from nine agencies raided a marijuana farm in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area of the northern Cascades on Thursday.
Lt. Rich Wiley, head of narcotics for the Washington State Patrol, said it was the first known marijuana grow operation found in a National Park Service site in Washington.
The farm was located by the pilot of a helicopter working on a maintenance project for the Park Service. Investigators said the appearance and techniques used at the site resemble those used by Mexican drug-trafficking organizations which have been cultivating marijuana in national parks in California.
In addition to the marijuana, agents removed more than 1,000 pounds of garbage, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, irrigation piping, and propane canisters.
Damage to the park done by the growers included cutting trees, terracing land, diverting creeks and installing irrigation systems, spreading chemical fertilizers, harassing and trapping wildlife, constructing living quarters and fences, and spreading garbage and human waste.
More than 50 officers were involved in the raid.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
Illegal workers quietly let go
Metro won't cut bus service after all
Jerry Large: Food-bank theft turns into a gift
Bumper to Bumper: How can the city let bridges go dark?

PNW Magazine | Easy As Pie
A little friendly competition between professional pie-baker Kate McDermott and The Seatttle Times' Kathleen Triesch Saul is handled with great taste.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
42" Hitachi Plasma 1080i - $500
8 Drawer Dresser with Attached Mirror - $200
8 seat pecon formal dining table and china hutch - $1500
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
Give yourself a treat and visit Watson Kennedy's Holiday Open Houses
More minding the store
events for Monday, Nov. 23
- Amy Bengtson Holiday Trunk Show
- Metropolitan Pilates Pre-Thanksgiving Sale
- Castle Discount with Military ID
- Sur La Table November sale
editors' picks
- Spas & beauty salons
- Vintage, consignment and used clothing
- Phinney Ridge & Greenwood shopping
- Independent video stores
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Craigslist adoption ad: A plea by young mother-to-be? A scam?
- Chase shrugs off loss of CD investors
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Snow piles up on Cascade slopes
- Denny Triangle gains skyline, but tenants slow to come
- Illegal workers quietly let go
381 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
210 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
159 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
101 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle
96 - Tattoos at Mill Creek Church pierce skin, soul
85 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
82 - Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
74 - Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
70 - UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
68
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- It's possible to recover a life lost to hoarding
- Child-support error costs nearly $21,000
- 'The Road' takes Viggo Mortensen to Mount St. Helens and Astoria, Ore.
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit

