Lava Beds National Monument (CA)
Vandals Inflict Major Damage On Petroglyphs
On May 17th, rangers discovered vandalism in an area of the park known as Petroglyph Point. Damage included over 50 occurrences in which individuals had carved over prehistoric and historic petroglyphs (a form of rock art) across a 300 foot stretch of the west face of this important cultural site. Petroglyph Point contains thousands of culturally significant petroglyphs, the most concentrated number in the state of California, which may date as far back as 4,000 years and are important to members of The Klamath Tribes. A temporary site closure has been enacted and additional security measures have been taken while a long term protection plan is established. Rangers are currently conducting an investigation into this incident of vandalism.