Aired on The California Report on Thursday, April 5, 2012.
http://www.californiareport.org/archive/R201204050850/a
Fort Bragg Councilman Jere Melo loved the woods. That's why, even after
he retired from a career in forestry, he took on contract work
patrolling private timberland. He often looked for signs of illegal
marijuana grow sites, and he became increasingly concerned about their
negative impact on the environment and public safety. Last August 27,
he was on such a patrol, but he didn't find a marijuana garden.
Instead, a mentally disturbed man who was reportedly tending a field of
opium poppies shot and killed him. After Melo's death, his
widow Madeline started the Jere Melo Foundation to educate the public
about her late husband's passion: keeping the forests free of illegal
marijuana grows. The organization hosted its first public forum at the end of March.