The Bureau of Land Management Utah is investigating two separate incidents of vandalism involving prehistoric petroglyph panels in the Moab area, according to a November 6 news release from the agency.
One incident occurred along Highway 279, while the second occurred near Hell’s Revenge in Grand County.
In both incidents, individuals carved names into or near prehistoric rock art panels. The agency stated that these irreplaceable cultural resources are protected under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.
According to the agency, vandalism or unauthorized disturbance of archaeological resources is a serious federal offense that can result in significant fines, imprisonment, and exclusion from public lands. The BLM noted that once these cultural resources are damaged, they cannot be restored to their original condition.
The Bureau of Land Management is asking visitors to respect these resources to help protect them for future generations. Anyone with information that could help identify the people responsible for the vandalism is asked to contact Moab BLM Law Enforcement at 435-259-2131.
