ATV Riders Vandalize Ancient Site

[Nemont]

Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 12:00 AM |

BLM offers $500 reward for info on ancient art vandalism

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Bureau of Land Management has dangled out a $500 reward for information about vandalism this month at an ancient rock art site near St. George.

The vandalism in the Land Hill area was reported May 16, and is believed to have occurred between then and May 1, when volunteers checking the site last stopped by.
BLM spokesman David Boyd said a man who regularly hikes the area noticed the damage.

Perpetrators scratched names and obscene words throughout the site and littered the area with burned pallets and beer cans. Names etched into the rocks include: Linzy B, Nikki, NW, Sean, Jen, KMK and West Side G Block Kryp. Authorities believe the vandals entered the site on 4 to 6 all terrain vehicles, using a road closed to all vehicle traffic.

"We probably won't be able to completely restore it," Boyd said.

The area contains a high concentration of rock art pieces, some of which are more than 4,000 years old. The damage spreads across 30 yards of cliff face that was cleaned up just last year after being defaced with paint, Boyd said.

The graffiti gouged the hard surface of the rock known as desert varnish, he said.

"In particular, there was a really spectacular sheep or ram that they cut into," he said. "(There was) a lot of writing on the rock face, then some initials above a design."

Land Hill is part of the Santa Clara River Reserve, a 6,500-acre patch of public land jointly managed by the BLM and the cities of Santa Clara and Ivins. It has more than 100 documented archaic, Anasazi and Paiute habitation sites and 51 petroglyph panels estimated to be between 750 and 4,000 years old.

In 2002, the federal government imposed prison sentences and fines based on the restoration cost for those convicted of damaging or defacing historic sites. Boyd said the Land Hill vandals could face up to two years in prison and $20,000 fines.

 

[cjcj]

Hope they catch them ..and make them pay Big time....we have had this happen in AZ only they used a backhoe...looking for pottery. [federal offense]

 

[1_pointer]

Now in No. UT we have folks trying to 'preserve' the Donner trail by driving in the ruts to make them bigger!