Sequoia National Park, home to the world’s largest trees and iconic raptors like peregrine falcons and bald eagles, has long battled illegal marijuana cultivation in its rugged backcountry. On Thursday, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a major victory: the removal of nearly 2,400 marijuana plants and roughly 2,000 pounds of trash from a 13-acre grow site.
The operation, coordinated by NPS law enforcement and Bureau of Land Management agents, comes after rangers raided the site last year. Cleanup was delayed due to the presence of methamidophos, a highly toxic insecticide banned in the U.S. since 2009. The chemical poses severe risks to birds, fish, bees, and humans, with exposure capable of causing respiratory distress and neurological symptoms.
The grow site had inflicted extensive environmental damage. Crews carved terraces into hillsides, cleared vegetation, cut two miles of illegal trails, and established camps and kitchens in federally protected wilderness. A creek was diverted to irrigate the plants — each requiring up to eight gallons of water daily — draining resources critical to native wildlife. Rangers also uncovered signs of poaching and seized a semiautomatic pistol.
According to NPS, organized drug-trafficking groups have operated large-scale marijuana farms across Sequoia and nearby Kings Canyon National Parks for two decades. Together, the parks cover more than 1,300 square miles and attract two million annual visitors, yet their remote terrain offers concealment for illegal grows. Over the past 20 years, officials have eradicated nearly 300,000 plants valued at $850 million, underscoring the scale of the ongoing fight.
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