Video: Another pot-growing plantation raided

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SEATTLE – People have been growing pot on Washington's public lands for decades, but the way they are doing it is changing and agents say it's bad news for public land and public safety.

Earlier this month in Moses Lake, federal agents uncovered a sophisticated grow – 10,000 plants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It turns out that was just the beginning.

"It's all over the state. East side and west side, although we've concentrated a lot of our efforts on the east side," said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Deputy Chief Mike Cenci.

The bulk of the illegal plantations are east of the Cascades. The same conditions that produce our best farms, orchards and vineyards, produce the best marijuana.

Joint eradication teams of federal, state and local agencies are reaping record numbers of plants and plantations. Last year they seized nearly 300,000 plants putting, Washington second only to California in pot production. Agents expect to easily surpass those numbers this year.

And these aren't your peaceful, old school growers.

"This is not the old hippy growing a few pot plants for personal use. These guys are in the business to make a lot of money," said Cenci.

Millions of dollars worth of pot are produced in single operations and the growers are willing to protect it from the unsuspecting hiker or fisherman who stumbles upon it.

Agents go in heavily armed knowing the growers often are too. Plus, there are dangers to the environment from the toxic fertilizers, pesticides and trash they leave behind. They also use sophisticated systems to siphon off water needed by wildlife and wetlands.