Utah Lawmakers Move to Make Defacing Red Rock a Crime
A Utah House committee unanimously backed a bill that would set criminal penalties for graffiti and other damage to natural rock features and archaeological sites on public lands.
Anyone who has seen a name scratched across a beautiful sandstone wall will like this. Utah News Dispatch reports that HB536, sponsored by Rep. Stuart Barlow, received unanimous approval from a House committee.
What the bill would do
- Set a criminal penalty for damaging natural rock features on Utah's public lands with graffiti or other vandalism
- Also protect archaeological features like petroglyphs, carvings and historic rock shelters
- Make a first offense a class B misdemeanor and later offenses a class A misdemeanor, with mandatory community service that benefits public lands
- Direct money from vandalism fines toward restoration, including for landowners who have no other way to pay for repairs
Barlow summed it up this way: "They're priceless because you can't replace them."
Our take
Rock art and red rock walls are a big part of why Moab trail days are so special. On our trips the rule is simple: look, take pictures and leave it exactly as you found it. Laws help, but the best protection is every one of us treating these places with respect.
