JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Joshua Tree National Park’s Barker Dam remains closed to the public as officials try to determine how to restore the 113-year-old structure vandalized in recent weeks by dozens of names scratched into its surface.
The etchings are similar to those seen before: “Julio ’13.” “Jason.” “Brookln + Joel.” But park officials don’t want them on the dam, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
On Feb. 8, the park announced that public access to the dam would be closed from 130 feet upstream from the structure to 180 feet downstream “to protect it from further damage.” The closure, a statement said, was deemed “an emergency situation” and “will remain in effect until the damage to the dam is stabilized.”
Officials told the Press-Enterprise the vandalism was discovered in January but was thought to have begun late last year. The working theory is that someone etched names and others added to it over time, thinking it was allowed.
Now, experts are trying to determine how to remove the etchings without causing additional damage, the newspaper said. Scraping off the markings, for instance, could take off wood-grain imprints made during the dam’s construction that are important to showing how dams were built at the time, archaeologist Caitlyn Marrs told the newspaper.
David Lamfrom of the National Parks Conservation Assn. told the Press-Enterprise the vandalism “is harming both history and the future.”
“It makes me sad,” Lamfrom said. “It says something about not having the perspective to know the long-term repercussions of our actions.”
Los Angeles Times
15 Comments to “Joshua Tree’s Barker Dam Closed over Vandalism”
February 22, 2013 at 7:59 PM
Liberals think graffiti is A-OK, politically protected "speech", so there you go. Yet one more example of how liberal social policies contribute to the decay of society. Thanks liberals!
February 23, 2013 at 1:43 AM
The old liberal excuse again huh?.
Everything doesn't have to be poloitical you know. Were the cavemen liberals? Were the anciant Egyptians liberals? They both carved into rocks too. What's your excuse for them?
February 23, 2013 at 1:30 PM
That is because that was the only media they to communicate with you idiot…
February 22, 2013 at 8:16 PM
Silly Repooblican – thinking is for kids!
February 23, 2013 at 1:30 PM
love your spelling
February 22, 2013 at 9:00 PM
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February 22, 2013 at 11:33 PM
If and when they catch the assholes who've done this defacing, they should push them off the highest cliff there at the park. They deserve it. Fuckers.
February 22, 2013 at 11:40 PM
they are the ultimate selfish douche bags. way to ruin it for everyone else dicks!
February 22, 2013 at 11:49 PM
Anything for kicks huh? Idiots..
February 23, 2013 at 7:36 AM
Close the park to humans.
They don't deserve it.
February 23, 2013 at 8:36 AM
buy an etch-a-sketch you no good little bastards
February 23, 2013 at 9:11 AM
Where was a state park ranger when all this was being committed? Surely, someone would drive up there every 'once in a while'.
Anyway, this is disgusting. Vandals are fucking up objects like parasites. Hope they find out who did this.
February 23, 2013 at 11:18 AM
This is why homosexuality is a sin.
There is no one on Earth who disagrees with me 100%.
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