The recent government shutdown has resulted in increased graffiti at national parks, according to SFGate.
Utah's famous Arches National Park remained open through the 43-day government shutdown thanks to temporary state funding, but reduced staff created more opportunities for vandalism.
The park has since been littered with graffiti on the landscape, including smileys, handprints, and one design of a video game character. Some vandals have gone so far as to carve into the rock. Some previous park managers anticipated this outcome when the government shutdown first loomed and urged lawmakers to keep parks nationwide closed.
Reactions to the defacement at Arches were pronounced.
"I've been to the pyramids in Egypt, which are the pinnacle of what mankind can achieve, but Arches shows what God and nature can create, and it's every bit as inspiring," said visitor David Burden, per SFGate. "To see the land intentionally damaged is really shocking."
This vandalism is an affront to visitors seeking to enjoy unsullied natural beauty, but it's more than just an eyesore.
The rocks that were defaced are porous, making it difficult to remove the paint. Even when it is scrubbed out, the paint can become microplastics and end up in natural food supplies.
Arches park staff encouraged visitors to take footage of vandalism and report it when found. They were also optimistic about turning things around with the return of funding and increased supervision.
"Obviously we'll never know if we could have prevented something like this, but it has been shown that just seeing rangers or volunteers keeping an eye on things can be enough to disincentivize these bad faith actors," said Lexi Little, the coordinator for the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program, per SFGate.
Little continued, "And even though this particular incident didn't include damage to the types of cultural sites we focus on, Utah's natural resources are absolutely another priority for us."
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