updates on park vandalism

"Selfie" because "Narcissisie" is too hard to spell.

The website "Modern Hiker" in the article referring to Vannesa Hudgens provides the following perspective:

The cycle to me often seems to be news accounts galore, predictable outrage, long wait, not much followup in the news of prosecution. But unfortunately, investigations take time and can be expensive. The fines do not pay the expenses, and all it takes are a few perpetrators to keep this cycle going.

Sometimes I think the vandals behind the scenes are the states who reap billions of dollars from national-park tourism and then turn around and cut park budgets. I doubt that higher fines, follow-up news accounts of prosecution, and more outrage will solve the problem. The need is for enforcement that stops the vandalism before it is allowed to proceed.

Enforcement of laws requires funding.

No matter how well publicized, there will always be a few derelicts (pardon the expression, Ms. Hudgens) who still "don't get it." It's a phenomenon similar to the human problem around Yellowstone bison. We pump education into the nation's youth until that education is running out their ears. But we can't make them care. We post signs. We express outrage on social media. But some people still just don't get it.

The latest senseless vandalism that I've heard is outrageous. Three men broke into Devil's Hole in Death Valley and one guy swam in the warm pool with the endangered pupfish. Guns and a Rhino ORV was involved. Oh yeah, and beer.

You know, this is part and parcel with me wondering what the @#)) is wrong with people who write in library books (and cut the crossword out of the library's newspapers. I suppose there have always been morons with a sense of entitlement. They just used to work it out by assaulting the serfs. Or the sheep.

Exhibiting a collective IQ somewhat lower than that of a pupfish:
"The men are accused of trespassing on April 30, spraying gunfire, tossing beer cans, vomiting and skinny-dipping in Devils Hole, which the scarce pupfish call home, officials said Thursday."

Read the article.

I, too, have witnessed that the number of vandalistic (Is that a word?) acts are increasing. However, do we think it is because people are becoming more destructive, more irrespective, etc. or because there are simply more folks that go to the places where only a few of us used to go?   Where an area might have only seen 100 people in a given time and of those 100 perhaps 3 or 4 saw fit to be destructive, now that same area sees 1,000 people in the same amount of time and the 3 or 4 of folks now becomes 30 or 40. Additionally, it seems to me that vandalism has existed for centuries, at least.

Cases in point:

I did a lot of spelunking in the late 60's and early 70's when I lived in an area where caves were close at hand. The majority of us used carbide lights for illumination. It was not uncommon to find where folks had written either some message and/or their names with the soot from the flames of those lights. For those unfamiliar, you just have to hold the flame against the surface and it will leave a soot/smoke trail, sort of like a candle.

How many times was, "Kilroy was here", written in various and sundry places in WW II.

I noticed on one of the many programs I have seen about the pyramids in Egypt, that the chamber at the top of the great pyramid of Giza has graffiti from thousands of years ago.

Although I never felt the need to deface anything like that, I think that the current group of folk are, for the most part, much more earth friendly than we were in those days. My old caving, rock climbing, and backpacking buddy were talking about that the other day. We certainly were not as fastidious in our outdoor habits as we are today.  As mentioned earlier, where there were only a few of us "back in the day" that sought the outdoors, now there are many.  Additionally, many of these areas are much easier to reach for those who are not as serious about preserving these areas for future generations. 

Don't get me wrong, I do not now nor ever have, condoned vandalism and am certainly not coming to the defense of those that do.  I am just wondering aloud about the situation.

As I continue to recuperate from surgery, lose some weight, replace my 40 year old gear, and get into shape so I can ease my way back onto the trail, I am certainly looking forward to the solitude (and hope I can find it there) along with the beauty of the (more or less) natural environment. My only regret is not starting to do so earlier and younger...

I would like to add that I have, so far, really enjoyed this group; even some of the more "spirited" threads I have had the pleasure of participating in. I have found, and continue to find, sage and timely advice here.