TRESPASS

TRESPASS

192

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In California’s forests, drug trafficking organizations run industrial-scale marijuana operations worth more than an estimated $15 billion. These trespass grows come with an environmental cost to match, one largely unheard of until biologists studying a little known animal called the Pacific fisher stumbled across its impacts.

Trespass travels into the backcountry with scientists and law enforcement agents as they combat these grows and endeavor to clean up the mess. Trespass has been at the forefront of media coverage for this issue since 2014. The subject reaches beyond California. The state supplies about 60 percent of black market cannabis to the rest of the country, but the grows themselves stretch far beyond California’s state lines. Trespass grows on public lands have been found in more than 11 states, including Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and Illinois.

One-minute Immersion

Experience a little of what it’s like to head into the field with this short series of verité clips from a drug raid and reclamation.

There is no time to waste. The Pacific fisher may very well become the first animal listed under the Endangered Species Act because of a tipping point reached from the threats of cannabis cultivation.

This is not a project meant to demonize the cannabis industry. We stand before the dawn of a massive and popular agricultural industry. The impacts found in trespass grows can also be found among private cannabis cultivators. While others are leading the charge in establishing closed system, organic practices. How often do we get to see the birth of an entire agricultural industry? Can we get ahead of the problems before they become insurmountable?

Where stories have appeared

Related Films

This story is far from over. The power of the long-term project is that more chapters emerge as you stick with your subject.

Neon Raven is pleased to have partnered with the Integral Ecology Research Center for certain aspects of the project. With support from their broader impacts portion of their grants, we are working together to create an ESRI Storymap that will serve as a central public information space as well as training support for the efforts of IERC and their partners to document and clean up trespass cannabis sites.

ADDITIONAL FRAMES

PROJECT FUNDERS PAST & PRESENT

- - - - Fund for Environmental Journalism, Society of Environmental Journalists
        
        Philip Hyde Grant, North American Nature Photography Association
        
        Integral Ecology Research Center

Accolades

Honorable Mention for best Magazine Feature, Society of Environmental Journalists 2018 (writer Julian Smith)

FUTURE PLANS

Neon Raven is currently in development for a feature-length documentary that dives deep into the environmental impacts and solutions of trespass cannabis industry. If you’d like support these efforts, whether through funding or new contacts, please get in touch. moheim (at) gmail.com