Check out our latest story! Illegal marijuana grow sites: A stain on public lands

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. See our latest story:  Illegal marijuana grow sites: A stain on public lands Millions of  acres of public lands are being overrun with illegal marijuana growing operations, resulting in degraded habitat and toxic trash that leads directly to wildlife deaths and serious threats to local water supplies. "Not only is it expensive to find and reclaim these sites, they are hazardous to our employees, the public, the environment and the wildlife that live on our refuges," said Polly Wheeler, chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System in California, Nevada and the Klamath Basin. Credit: USFS, Region 5   By Jane Hendron June 6, 2017 At first glance, California's 45 million acres of public lands seem like havens for recreation and wildlife. But off the beaten path, away from the maintained trails and people, there is a different story. Some of these secluded areas are being overrun with illegal marijuana growing operations, resulting in degraded habitat and toxic trash that leads directly to wildlife deaths and serious threats to local water supplies. "Illegal marijuana grow areas really put a strain on our resources," said Polly Wheeler, chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System in California, Nevada and the Klamath Basin. "Not only is it expensive to find and reclaim these sites, they are hazardous to our employees, the public, the environment and the wildlife that live on our refuges." Continue to full story... Stay Connected with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region     This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region · 2800 Cottage Way · Suite W-2606 · Sacramento, CA 95825