Graffiti at Utah's Arches National Park may be irreparable

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Graffiti at Utah's Arches National Park may be irreparable

April 28, 2016

(Reuters) - Graffiti etched into one of the popular red rock arches in Utah's Arches National Park may be too deep to be repaired, the park's superintendent said on Thursday.

The vandalism, which was discovered by park staff last Saturday and includes names and numbers, spans about six feet on the so-called Frame Arch, park superintendent Kate Cannon said.

The site of the graffiti is near a hiking trail to one of the park's main attractions, Delicate Arch, a 64-feet high sandstone structure that has been known to draw hundreds of visitors at a time.

Authorities have not yet identified any suspects, Cannon said. In a post on their Facebook page, park officials appealed to the public for information that would lead them to the culprits.


Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/graffiti-utahs-arches-national-park-may-irreparable-012902843.html?nhp=1

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Wonderful photos of Arches National Park at google images:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1310&bih=586&q=Frame+Arch+in+Arches+National+Park&oq=Frame+Arch+in+Arches+National+Park&gs_l=img.12...1064.1064.0.3094.1.1.0.0.0.0.167.167.0j1.1.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.0.0.mgOy0mr2FZM#imgrc=_

[tabasco]

1. Fuckin' assholes.

"Authorities have not yet identified any suspects."

[Hulk]

2. When they find them, string them up...

...by whatever body parts you chose. What low life, ignorant bastards. Like the father and son team that were photographed toppling large stones that stood for centuries in balance in the SouthWest.

People can really stoop pretty damned low on the idiot scale.

[zalinda]

3. Any one caught should face jail time.

No exceptions. A $5,000 fine to some is the price of doing business and no big deal. Jail time may put a stop to it. This is where some white hat hackers could do some real good.

Z

[A Little Weird]

4. Oh no!

[sakabatou]

5. WTF?

[Old Crow]

6. They need to up the mandatory jail times for crimes of this sort.

And those mandatory jail times should be prominently displayed on signs at the entrance of the national parks.

Something like the following:

WARNING: Defacing, damaging, writing graffiti on, or vandalizing this park's natural features will result in a minimum of 18 MONTHS MANDATORY JAIL TIME. Anyone witnessing such acts is urged to call or text 1-800-OUR-PARKS.

It is time to get tough. I'm sick of the destruction.

[MBS]

11. Totally agree.

This kind of vandalism is unforgivable.

[shebornik]

7. they are lucky

Edward Abbey isn't around to "straighten them out".

[LNM]

13. I wish he were around. nt

[NuclearDem]

8. Utah's national parks are some of the most beautiful in the whole country.

The Arches, the Grand Staircase, Zion, and Bryce Canyon are national treasures:






People who pull this shit are fucking scum who ruin it for the rest of us.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Overwhelming. Thank you for showing these images. n/t

[argyl]

15. They are indeed. Zion is my particular favorite.

I've told people who were going to Las Vegas that if they grew tired of the neon and wanted to see some really beautiful country then take a day trip to Zion.

Many are so enchanted with Zion that they don't even go back to Vegas.

[GummyBearz]

16. I saw Zion for the first time about 2 months ago

It did not disappoint. As a math/engineering type, I found myself just sitting back to take in the beauty of what nature can create without using calculators, computers, etc. Pretty amazing

[SunSeeker]

9. What the fuck is wrong with these vandals?

Why do they think this amazing natural beauty should be defaced this way?

[sinkingfeeling]

12. Another sovereign citizen abusing public propert?

[wildeyed]

14. They are going to have to put a security camera on them or something.

The sandstone is soft and very delicate. So sad this happened. I have been there. They are beautiful. They should make deface monuments in national parks a felony if it isn't already.

[Earth_First]

17. This has been going on for some time now, and prompted a closure in 2014 to prevent further damage

I don't know what would possess someone to do this, however graffiti at Arches NP has been a problem for some time now, it makes headlines this time due to the magnitude and depth to which the vandals defaced the sandstone in this instance.

What a shame.

I hope that those responsible will face the MAXIMUM penalty of the law for the offense.