More than 5,000 young marijuana plants were pulled up by three
state park rangers Tuesday in a remote area of Henry W. Coe State
Park and turned over to narcotics enforcement officers.
More than 5,000 young marijuana plants were pulled up by three state park rangers Tuesday in a remote area of Henry W. Coe State Park and turned over to narcotics enforcement officers.
At maturity, the plants’ street value would be estimated at between $300,000 and $500,000, according to Dave Schaechtele, public information officer for the Monterey District of California State Parks, which covers Big Sur to Henry W. Coe.
The one to 12-inch plants were discovered by a hiker who noticed a black irrigation pipe in a spot where one normally does not find plastic, and notified rangers, Schaechtele said.
He asks anyone hiking in Henry Coe’s backcountry to keep an eye out for anything unusual but warns them not to approach either suspicious plants or people who may be nearby. The area where the plants were found is accessible only by foot.
“Be aware, don’t approach or investigate,” Schaechtele said. Contact any law enforcement officer – rangers, local police, California Highway Patrol, county sheriff – he said, but do not call 911.
“All law enforcement agencies are connected and will be sure the information gets to the right place,” Schaechtele said.
Coe, at 89,000-acres is the largest state park in California. It is in the mountains east of Morgan Hill.
To report suspicious plants call Morgan Hill Police, 779-2101 or Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department 683-2681.
