Forest Service buys flying drones to help find marijuana growers...

[TwoLOUD]

The U.S. Forest Service has purchased a pair of flying drones to track down marijuana cultivators operating in remote California woodlands.

Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who oversees the Forest Service, tells The Associated Press the pilotless aircraft will allow agency law enforcement officers to pinpoint marijuana fields and size up potential dangers before agents make arrests.

Rey says there is an increasing number of marijuana growers financed by Mexican drug cartels who are using California's national forests to stage their operations.

The SkySeer drones cost $100,000 each and weigh only four pounds. They were delivered to the Forest Service's aviation branch in Montana before being shipped to California.

One of the drones is equipped with a thermal camera for nighttime flights.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-03-08 1333CDT

http://www.kxmb.com/News/225179.asp


Oh gosh..maybe not new to some but I havent heard about this..gosh..geeze. So much money can be spent better. IMO of course.

[AlphaQ]

Hmm, I suppose this can be justified on the basis of a non-native plant species introduced by visitors. There is potential for a change in the habitat.

Of course Cannabis can naturally grow just about anywhere...

[Talventaivas]

The ecological consequences of introducing non-native species into the forests is cause for concern, but everyone here knows that that is NOT the reason they would be doing it... sad really. But if prohibition weren't around, they wouldn't have this problem: People wouldn't have to grow in the national forests.