BLM seeks information on damage to pictographs

June 6, 2003 
By Rachel Odell
The Bulletin

Officials from the Bureau of Land Management have offered a $2,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible for damaging pictographs at the Badlands, about 15 miles east of Bend on Highway 20.

The reward comes about five months after the vandalism was found, but it also underscores the seriousness of the offense and the agency's commitment to punishing the responsible people, said Robert Towne, field manager of the Prineville District of the Bureau of Land Management.

`Significant damage to our natural heritage sites is a very serious crime,` Towne said in a telephone interview.

Officials didn't offer the reward earlier because they had to get it approved by different bureaucratic channels, which took time, he said.

The reward was welcome news to Brent Fenty, wildlands coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, an environmental group that has been working to establish a wilderness area on the 38,000-acre parcel.

However, Fenty said the agency should close roads into the canyons where the vandalism took place to more effectively protect the area.

`We're pleased they are responding and taking these infractions seriously,` Fenty said. `Unfortunately, some of the pictographs were defaced permanently and are irreplaceable.`

Fenty said establishing a wilderness area would close roads, which would discourage people from using the Badlands as a party site where they can have large bonfires, something that occurs now.

`The threat remains until those roads are closed and the area becomes wilderness,` Fenty said.

In mid-January, one or more people used charcoal to deface about five pictographs, and destroyed at least one of the images.

The pictographs, besmirched with charred sticks, were likely painted about 2000 years ago, according to BLM Archaeologist John Zancanella.

Officials cleaned up the scribbling, with the help of volunteers and a professional, conservator in March.

Damaging a federal resource can be a felony crime if the damage exceeds $1,000, said Roger Crisofi, law enforcement ranger for the BLM.

A lesser charge would be a class A misdemeanor, which can result in up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000, he said.