LAKEPORT ? The Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee will host a public forum titled “The Illegal Marijuana Production and its Impacts on Fish and Wildlife Resources in Lake and Mendocino Counties.” The meeting will be on Thursday starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake County Board of Supervisors Chambers, located at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport.
The principal speakers will be Rich Burns and Gary Sharp of the Bureau of Land Management. They will review more than 20 years of experience dealing with the impacts of clean-up costs and rehabilitation of destroyed habitat on public lands. Also on the agenda will be Steve Brooks and Rod Mitchell of the Lake County Sheriff”s office as well as representatives from the U.S. Forest Service.
According to authorities, the illegal growing of marijuana on public lands had been devastating to wildlife and the environment, costing millions of dollars to clean up the marijuana gardens. The growers also are a threat to the hunters, campers and hikers that utilize public lands. The forum is open to the public.
