More than 2,000 illegal marijuana plants removed from California national park

Officers raided an illegal marijuana farm last week, removing over 2,000 marijuana plants from Sequoia National Park in northern California.

The 13-acre site also contained around 2,000 pounds of trash and infrastructure that were removed by hand and by helicopter, the National Park Service said.

Other items found at the site included a semi-automatic pistol and a number of hazardous chemicals, such as a highly toxic insecticide that was banned in the U.S. over 15 years ago.

Authorities noted other hazards and damage the marijuana farm caused within the national park:

• Poaching activity was detected.
• A significant amount of natural vegetation was cleared.
• Trails covering an estimated two miles were illegally maintained.
• Campsites, kitchen areas and cultivation sites were developed in a wilderness area.
• Large pits were constructed to store diverted water, and terraces were dug into the hillside for planting marijuana.
• The natural flow of water from a nearby creek was redirected and channeled to water the marijuana plants, which can each use up to eight gallons of water per day. The diversion of water takes water away from wildlife and vegetation that rely on it, according to the NPS.

The agency added that water for personal use and crop irrigation within the mountainous Sequoia National Park can cause runoff contaminated with pesticides to reach the Central Valley.

“These cultivation sites cause major damage to the parks’ natural resources and are a threat to public and staff safety,” officials said.

The recently raided marijuana farm was initially spotted and raided in 2024 by authorities, but was not rehabilitated until this year because of the presence of dangerous chemicals, according to the NPS.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. The NPS asks anyone with tips on illegal cultivation on park land to please call the NPS-wide Tip Line at 888-653-0009.

Officials noted that well-organized drug-trafficking organizations have been operating large-scale cultivation operations in and around Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for nearly 20 years.

In that time, almost 300,000 marijuana plants valued at nearly $850 million have been removed from the two California national parks.