Crews from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with an organization called the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, spent hours walking through dense forestry on Aug. 25 and 26, destroying thousands of close-to-mature marijuana plants in the secluded hillsides of Saratoga, Los Gatos and the eastern portion of Santa Clara County.

The two-day operation yielded a grand total of more than 6,000 plants ranging from four to 7-1Ž2 feet. According to marijuana-detection expert and helicopter pilot, Barry Cozart, "The plants were three weeks to a month away from being fully harvested."

The first eradication took place in an undisclosed location in the eastern part of the county, where 2,965 plants spanning across four to five acres of land were uprooted and transported for destruction. The plants at this site had a street value of approximately $2.5 million, according to Deputy Terrance Helm, the public information officer with Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Suspects fled the area the day before the eradication after running into officers. An arrest is still pending.

The second operation took place in the widely used Sanborn Park off Highway 9 in Saratoga. Officers went to the site with the intent to arrest two suspects, but the individuals fled the scene before crews arrived. What was left at the abandoned location were partially destroyed plants that were two weeks away from maturity. From early morning to mid-afternoon, teams destroyed close to 1,000 plants.

On the same day, crews labored in the county-owned hillside near Bald Mountain in the Sierra Azule Preserve, cutting down 2,184 plants that were scattered in different areas.

Cozart said marijuana growers typically plant in different locations so that the plants would not be easy to find. On average, gardens range from 2,000 to 4,000 plants.

In addition, crews found evidence of suspects camping in the area. Based on the size of the camping equipment—tents, tortilla makers, sleeping bags, barbecue grills and a water buffalo for the plants—Cozart said he estimates no more than four individuals were camping in the area.

"It's obvious that the suspects put a lot of time and effort in choosing a place to grow the plants," Helm said.

There is no evidence so far that shows the farms are related.

"The only thing in common is that the suspects—the drug lords—want a lot of money," Helm said.

According to Helm, this is the second largest drug bust so far this year in the county. The last one was in the unincorporated areas near highways 9 and 17.

Cozart said Saratoga and Los Gatos are not typical places to find marijuana farms due to dense populations and more affluent communities, but Helm added that he would not be surprised to find one because of the type of terrain these areas have.

Lt. Frank Damiano with the West Side Substation said that the unincorporated areas, which are frequently monitored by law enforcement officers, are ideal sites for marijuana growers because such spaces are hard to get to on foot.

"Most people avoid these areas," he said.

In Saratoga, marijuana use among juveniles is on the rise, according to Damiano, but it has not been a major problem.

"It's not at a level that indicates any sale activity," he said. "People who get caught usually have less than an ounce of marijuana on them."

Although Saratoga and Los Gatos may not be common grounds for marijuana farms, many people in Saratoga remember the infamous case of Michael Costa, who allegedly harvested and packaged marijuana inside his suspended property on Quito Road. Costa was also believed to have managed marijuana operations in houses in San Jose, Campbell and Calaveras County. According to agents, Costa hired young drug couriers to deliver up to 1,000 pounds of marijuana a month to places in Texas and Massachusetts.

However, Helm said that the market is big enough in neighboring cities that there is no need to sell out of state.

Large drug busts such as these are not common in Saratoga, but Damiano said they've received calls on occasion from residents notifying officers of neighbors growing marijuana in their backyards. In these cases, the plants are usually grown to exceed the height of the fence, which makes it easy for neighbors and officers in the neighbors' yards to spot.

Authorities did not reveal information about the exact means of destruction of the plants, but they did say it would either be burned or buried in an undisclosed location.

The marijuana-growing season begins in April and continues through September, according to Cozart. It also can go through October in areas with an elevation level of less than 4,000 feet.