State Park Closed Briefly After Pot Gardens Found

GUERNEVILLE, Calif. — A state park in Sonoma County was closed more than four hours Friday after deputies discovered a network of marijuana plants with an end-of-season harvest value estimated at $47 million, the Sheriff’s Department reported.

Lt. Roger Rude said deputies discovered 23,652 plants in the Gilliam Creek drainage area of the Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

“This is one of the largest groves ever found in Sonoma County,” Rude said. He described the site of the garden network as remote, rugged terrain frequented by hikers and hunters.

The lieutenant said the estimated harvest value was based on each mature plant yielding about a pound of marijuana and each pound selling for about $2,000.

He said a hunter came upon a garden containing about 500 plants at the back end of the park, used a global positioning device to pinpoint the garden’s location in the recreation area and notified a ranger.

The network of pot gardens contained plants 2- to 3-feet high.

Plants were destroyed during the afternoon, Rude said.

The incident also closed the adjacent Armstrong Redwoods State Park from 10:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., a park spokeswoman said.