A series of massive busts on timber and public lands in SoHum brought down more than 20,000 marijuana plants and 600 pounds of pot — a value of $21 million, according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies found a house being used for drying an processing by following a trail of marijuana leaves from one of the grow sites.

From the Sheriff's Office:

09-24-2013, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted by the Cannabis Eradication and Reclamation Team (C.E.R.T.) eradicated a large marijuana cultivation site on Barnum Timber Property, Garberville area. Deputies located and eradicated 9,056 growing marijuana plants ranging in height from 4’ to 6’. Deputies found rodenticides, fertilizers and environmental damage caused by clearing of brush and timber, along with a stream diversion.

On 09-25-2013, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted by the C.E.R.T. eradicated a large marijuana cultivation site again on Barnum Timber and adjacent private property in the Garberville area. Deputies located and eradicated 5,717 growing marijuana plants ranging in height from 4’ to 6’ tall. They again found rodenticides, fertilizers and environmental damage caused by clearing of brush and timber, along a with stream diversion. They also found a trail of marijuana leaves which they followed to a residence. A search warrant was obtained for the residence. Upon serving the search warrant on the residence deputies discovered the residence was being exclusively used to process and dry marijuana. Deputies located and seized 600 pounds of marijuana from the residence. No one was in the residence when the search warrant was served.

On 09-26-2013, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted by the C.E.R.T. eradicated a large marijuana cultivation site on Benbow State Park property and adjacent private property. Deputies located and eradicated 6,750 growing marijuana plants at this location along with a stream diversion and other environmental damage. The plants at this location ranged in size from 3’ to 7’ tall.

The estimated value of the total marijuana seized is conservatively 21 million dollars.