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Volunteers Sit Near Petroglyphs In Attempt To Deter Vandalism

Jeff Foster
/
Creative Commons
Petroglyphs with bullet holes near Meeker, Colorado, 2009.

Volunteers concerned about rock art near Utah Lake near Provo are taking the issue sitting down, so to speak. The Daily Herald newspaper reports that a small group sat in folding chairs over Easter weekend in front of 10,000-year-old petroglyphs on the lake’s west side to try to deter target-shooters from damaging the ancient works. The Daily Herald says the petroglyphs are near a popular shooting site and over the years stray bullets have destroyed some etchings. Signs put up by the Bureau of Land Management have themselves been shot, as well as boulders recently placed in front of some of the rock-art panels. The president of the Utah Rock Art Research Association, Steve Acerson, said he doesn’t believe most shooters are deliberately targeting the petroglyphs, but apparently are just poor shots.
 

Gail Binkly is a career journalist who has worked for the Colorado Springs Gazette and Cortez Journal, and was the editor of the Four Corners Free Press, based in Cortez.
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