By Aman Chabra, Local News 8 Reporter

EASTERN IDAHO - Idaho's scenic beauty could be making the Gem State a haven for marijuana growers.

The most recent discovery comes from Camas County where more than 27,000 plants were removed from the Sawtooth National Forest.  The farm was located just seven miles away from a similar operation which was broken up on July 30.

This discovery combined with the 6,750 plants removed from Wolverine Canyon on Tuesday, and the 12,545 taken out of a remote canyon in Owyhee County, and major outdoor marijuana grows have hit each corner of Southern Idaho.

Law enforcement says the desolate nature of Idaho's wilderness could be driving marijuana growers to the Gem State.

"We have a lot of dense wilderness and government-controlled lands where not a lot of people go to on a regular basis, so obscurity could be playing a factor in these recent growing operations," said Lt. Steven Davis with Idaho State Police.

Lt. Davis has 14 years of narcotics experience, and believes despite the recent evidence Idaho isn't considered a hotbed for marijuana growers.

"We will normally have outdoor grows, but they are probably going to be a lot more concentrated and smaller than that of other states," said Lt. Davis.

Lt. Davis says the bigger grows are commonplace in the states of Washington, Oregon and California.  He says Idaho's climate usually plays a role in fewer grows than the previously mentioned states.

"Out growing season is very short here, so it would be more common in other states, but the climate conditions in the summertime cater to marijuana growth in certain areas," said Lt. Davis.

Like the marijuana growing in Wolverine Canyon, the farming operation in Owyhee County was also discovered by a group of nearby hikers.

Law enforcement says outdoor enthusiasts making their way to the mountains need to be on alert.

"If they identify it as a marijuana grow, be very cautious!  The people maintaining the grow will set up barriers, and they very well could be armed, so once somebody identifies what it is, they should immediately contact law enforcement," said Lt. Davis.

Here are some tips for identifying a marijuana grow, according to the Idaho Sheriff's Association:

• 1.) The clearing of brush or timber
• 2.) Signs of cultivation/soil disturbance in unlikely areas
• 3.) Unusual structures such as tents or shelters in remote areas
• 4.) Buckets, garden tools, fertilizer bags, propane tanks, etc. left abandoned in rural areas.
• 5.) Plastic/PVC sprinkler piping coming from streams and placed onto hidden/covered hillside areas.
• 6.) Large purchases of fertilizer, garden hoses, plastic PVC pipe, chicken wire, camouflage netting, etc. in rural areas.
• 7.) Garbage in rural locations.

On a side note, deputies in Bingham County say they have recovered small trace evidence from the camping equipment they found in Wolverine Canyon belonging to the suspects.  They are sending it to the lab, and hope to get results back in the coming weeks.