(AP) -- State forest rangers report removing 116 marijuana plants representing more than 650 pounds of pot from state-owned land in central New York this season.
The plants were found in five state forests and one wildlife management area in the Department of Environmental Conservation's nine-county Region 7 in central New York.
The DEC says growers often rig booby-traps to protect their illicit crops, which could harm those walking through the woods.
The agency says marijuana also disrupts the natural ecosystem on state land and is regarded as an invasive species.
The hidden marijuana plots are often reported by tipsters, or found by DEC personnel who work on state land.
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