Photo submitted to Times Observer Warren County Detective Brian Zeybel (left) and Warren County Chief Deputy Sheriff Chuck Fetzeck hold bundles of marijuana plants pulled by a combined effort of the Warren County Drug Task Force and U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement.

The Warren County Drug Task Force and U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement are working to catch people who are illegally growing marijuana on public lands.

According to Warren County Detective Brian Zeybel, a hunter passing through an area near the Warren-Forest county line about one-half mile from a forest road found a grow in a small clearing.

“These plants were 20 in number and quite healthy,” Zeybel said. “They were planted in a small clearing within a forested area with a small tributary creek used as a water source.”

That hunter contacted the task force.

The task force moved forward in an effort to find out who was growing and tending the plants.

“Game cameras were set up in the area with photographs being captured,” Zeybel said. “These photos are being analyzed for the possible identification of the crop tenders.”

The task force cameras were not the only ones in the area. “Other cameras were discovered in the area believed to be watching the crop and set by the growers,” Zeybel said. “These cameras may also have pictures of the persons planting, tending, or caring for this crop of marijuana.”

“If anyone sees marijuana growing in the woods or on their personal property, please call Chief County Detective Brian Zeybel at (814) 728-3460 and the Warren County Drug Task Force will respond,” Zeybel said. “If you have the ability to capture a longitude and latitude for the plants, please do. This allows the DTF to find the plants quickly and do a grid search of the surrounding areas for the possibility of more plants.”