/ Modified nov 10, 2011 10:28 a.m.

BLM Busts Archaeological Vandals

Damage wrought by natural resource vandalism is often permanent, and many cases go unsolved

A few weeks ago, five people were fined for defacing a prehistoric American Indian site near Tucson.

Investigators with the Bureau Of Land Management used old-fashioned detective work to track them down, pulling fingerprints off a spray paint can left at the scene.


BLM officials say they got lucky in that case. Many other cases of natural resource vandalism are never prosecuted, simply because of a lack of evidence. But the damage often remains visible for years.

Amy Sobiech, archaeologist with the BLM's Tucson Field Office, talks about how they protect resources from vandals, and rehabilitate them when they're damaged.



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