Full Notification

EPHRATA, Wash. (10OCT2013) – For the seventh consecutive year, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office participated in the Washington Cannabis Eradication Response Team (CERT) program.

CERT is an annual effort by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Justice and Washington State Patrol to remove marijuana grown illegally throughout the state. These grow operations are commonly found to be organized by Mexican National drug cartels with the individual grow sites being operated and maintained by people brought into the country illegally and sometimes against their will.

The CERT program focuses on removing marijuana from public lands and State and Federal forest lands as well as Native American Reservations, wild life reserves, agricultural and wet lands. Each year in Washington, hunters and hikers using public lands are confronted by marijuana grow tenders. These confrontations have resulted in shootings and physical altercations and pose a safety hazard to citizens trying to enjoy outdoor recreation. Damage to the environment by these grow operations ranges from the removal of natural forest and plants, terracing of hillsides, soil and water contamination from chemicals and fertilizers as well as the illegal killing of wild life.

Overall, illegal marijuana plant production is down on the west coast, but Grant County ranked as number one in Washington State with over 8,000 plants located and destroyed. Using conservative standards for plant production and pricing, the Sheriff’s Office participation in the CERT program led to more than six tons worth $11-million of marijuana seized and removed from Grant County prior to harvest, consumption, or export. More than 40,000 plants were destroyed statewide this year, down from a high of over 600,000 plants in 2009 – a testament to the success of the CERT program.

“Grant County’s participation in the CERT program has made a huge statewide impact on illegal marijuana grows by disrupting the production of marijuana and capturing people responsible for the illegal activity,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “Through our partnerships with other agencies, we have a greater capability to make our communities and recreation lands safer.”

The CERT program is supported by grant funding from the federal government. Detectives from Grant County’s Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team provided integral assistance to the program with investigative efforts, training, and other support.

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PGT20/PR99/AGT4