Download the IERC Wilderness Reclamation Grant Press Packet Materials (Photos and Fact Sheet)
For Immediate Release
Empowering Teams to Reclaim the Wild: Successful Training for Public Land Cleanups of Illicit Cannabis Cultivation Complexes
Blue Lake, CA, Thursday, December 12, 2024
Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC) proudly announces the successful completion of one of California’s largest wilderness environmental reclamation projects aimed at removing trash, infrastructure, and hazardous waste from public land cannabis cultivation sites. The project was focused in the Trinity Alps wilderness in Northern California and the Ventana Wilderness in Central California. This project was made possible by funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Cannabis Restoration Grant Program and United States Forest Service – Law Enforcement and Investigations (USFS – LEI).
This project was a joint collaboration with USFS-LEI and multiple environmental organizations to successfully reclaim 30 cannabis cultivation sites in California’s wildernesses. IERC has been the leader in reclaiming cultivation sites nationally with over 12 years of experience, and this funding allowed the transfer of knowledge to four non-profit organizations. This empowerment significantly enhances California’s capacity to address similar environmental challenges in the future. These organizations are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to conduct reclamation operations independently, ensuring ongoing protection and restoration of our natural resources. “California’s wildlands have faced significant harm from illicit cannabis cultivation, but we are working towards changing this. Through this project, newly trained reclamation teams have answered the call to take action and become further champions of their public lands” stated IERC’s Executive Director and Co-Founder Dr. Greta Wengert.
This effort is also a pivotal first step in rejuvenating natural habitats, improving ecosystem health, and enhancing the beauty and accessibility of wilderness areas for the public trust. It also halts and prevents further environmental degradation and contamination of public lands that community members, including indigenous tribes and recreationists, commonly use. “This project represents a major milestone in protecting California’s wilderness areas, preserving delicate ecosystems, and empowering local environmental groups to tackle these environmental challenges across the state,” said Ivan Medel, IERC Program Manager. In addition, these efforts improved wildlife habitats that include Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, California condor, northern spotted owl, Pacific fisher, Humboldt marten, Pacific tailed frog, foothill yellow-legged frog, and coho and chinook salmon.
Key highlights of the project include:
- Habitat Restoration: We successfully removed over 27,500 lbs. of refuse including various types of trash, infrastructure debris, human food and other wildlife attractants.
- Water Restoration: We removed approximately 28 miles of irrigation piping, which had diverted headwater resources from streams, helping to restore the natural hydrology of the affected areas. Infrastructure was removed that formerly diverted over 200 million gallons of water annually from sensitive headwater streams and water sources in drought-stricken forest lands.
- Hazardous Waste Contamination: We identified and worked with a hazardous materials team to remove and safely dispose of 68 containers of chemicals illegal for use due to their high toxicity and significant threats to humans, wildlife, and environmental health.
- Community Empowerment: We provided classroom and on-the-ground training for 23 participants from four environmental non-profits: two located in Northern California, the Watershed Research and Training Center and Trinity County Resource Conservation District; and two in Central California, the Ventana Wilderness Alliance and Los Padres Forest Association.
This project underscores the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing environmental challenges posed by illegal activities on public lands. By partnering with state and federal agencies, and local non-profits, we have made significant strides in reclaiming and protecting our wilderness areas in the spirit of the Wilderness Act, signed 60 years ago this year.
Partners: We would like to thank our all of our project partners and collaborators for making this project a huge success including: CDFW’s Cannabis Restoration Grant Program, United States Forest Service – Law Enforcement and Investigations Region 5, Ventana Wilderness Alliance, Los Padres Forest Association, Watershed Research and Training Center, Trinity County Resource Conservation District, Cannabis Removal on Public Lands project, and United States Forest Service Wildland Fire Region 5.
About IERC: Integral Ecology Research Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems. Our mission is to perform ecological research and compile, organize, and disseminate the results of this research in order to increase scientific knowledge for the public, advance the management and conservation of wildlife species and their communities, and enhance overall ecosystem health and conservation. This year, we celebrate 20 years of conservation success, from 2004-2024.
To learn more about this project or support our ongoing efforts, please visit www.iercecology.org or www.facebook.com/IERCeco.
Contact: Dr. Greta Wengert, Executive Director, Integral Ecology Research Center (707) 668 – 4030, ierc@iercecology.org