Rock Art Vandals to Appear in Court

GRAND JUNCTION, CO—Three high school students, who graduated this spring from Fruita Monument High School, have been charged with destruction of United States property after an investigation conducted by Ranger Perry McCoy with the Bureau of Land Management Grand Junction Field Office (GJFO) identified them as suspects in the recent rock art vandalism in the McDonald Creek Cultural Resource Management Area of the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (NCA). An 18 year old male, 18 year old female and a juvenile have been charged and will appear in Federal Court on June 20, 2006. McCoy was assisted in the investigation by the Grand Junction Police Department and Crimestoppers.

“We are pleased to report to the public that NCA staff has successfully cleaned and scrubbed the sandstone boulder and wall that sustained damage from the spray paint,” Associate Field Manager Raul Morales said. “Staff did a great job—it’s difficult to see where the graffiti was, and the sacred images were spared direct damage.”

In late May, the three individuals chose a highly visible location in Rabbit Valley and proceeded to spray blue, white and black paint on a large boulder and nearby sandstone wall where fragile pictographs, painted Indian rock art, are located. McInnis Canyons NCA embraces some of the region’s most significant paleontological and cultural resources.

Each person could face imprisonment of not more than 12 months and up to $100,000 in fines. Because the teens were unaware they were vandalizing a significant archaeological site, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 will not apply.

BLM GJFO is the steward of 1.2 million acres of public lands, and there are 124,300 acres in the McInnis Canyons NCA. The BLM depends on the public to watch for illegal or unsafe practices on public lands and asks you to report incidents to the nearest field office.

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