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Saguaro Cacti Tagged By Vandals At Saguaro National Park

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Published Date

May 14, 2013

This saguaro was one of at least eight that were spray-painted by vandals at Saguaro National Park. NPS photo.

It appears little is free from graffiti vandalism, not even age-old saguaro cacti at Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona.

Park Superintendent Darla Sidles reports that at least eight saguaros and some boulders along the Douglas Springs Trail in the park's Rincon District were tagged by the spray-paint-wielding vandals sometime last weekend.

Some of the saguaros that were defaced were as much as 150 years old, according to the superintendent.

"They were seedlings during our nation's civil war and have stood this long inside what is now a national park-designated wilderness area, designed to protect them," Superintendent Sidles said in a news release.

Anyone with information about the vandalism can call the Saguaro National Park Information Hotline at 520-733-5150.

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Comments

Submitted by Gary B. on May 14, 2013 - 1:29pm.

Horrible. Could you blur the tag or completely hide it? No sense in giving these morons a reason to do more. Thanks.


Submitted by Quiet please on May 14, 2013 - 5:29pm.

Use to be just on our trains.Now in our Natl. Parks.

No respect for anything or anybody.To hell in a handbasket we go.


Submitted by NPSurvivor on May 14, 2013 - 8:52pm.

Don't think that is so unusual. Our buildings get "tagged," our waterfalls get "tagged", our rocks get "tagged". It comes with being near a metro area, not controlling unsupervised access to the park, and having folks with little respect for nature, history, or much, visiting the park. It is the worst because it starts small and eats progressively away at everything in the park as time goes on.


Submitted by gutz54 on May 15, 2013 - 12:20pm.

Would amputation be to harsh of a penalty?


Submitted by Lee Dalton on May 16, 2013 - 2:34pm.

Amputation of what? I suggest the head.


Submitted by Felicity on May 16, 2013 - 2:37pm.

Felicity Barringer from the NY Times here. This looks like a story to me. HAs anyone on this site heard of other instances of wilderness graffiti, in National Parks or other remote and beautiful places (I think I heard about some graffiti near the petroglyphs in Utah's Nine Mile Canyon a few years ago). If there's more of this out there, I'd really like to know. Best e-mail is [email protected]. Just put Park Graffiti in the subject line. Or follow up on this thread...Many thanks

FB


Submitted by Lee Dalton on May 16, 2013 - 4:13pm.

Felicity -- out here in the wild west, it's usually not paint that is used for graffiti but bullets. Petroglyphs are favorite targets of some of our gun-totin', rootin' tootin' locals. (Along with pit toilets, roadsigns, and almost anything else that gets in the way of a flying chunk of their lead.)

But hey, they're just exercising their Second Amendment rights . . . . .


Submitted by NPSurvivor on May 16, 2013 - 5:36pm.

Felicity, you can start a little closer to NYC. There are parks in the vicinity (Gateway NRA, Statue of Liberty, Morristown, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Steamtown) that struggle with graffiti. Contact the superintendents of the respective units and have them direct you. Post back here if you need help.


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