Utah activists sit on shooting sites to protect petroglyphs
Bullet impacts cover the side of a rock, which contains petroglyphs on top, on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018, in the Lake Mountains area of Utah. (Evan Cobb/The Daily Herald via AP)
Provo, Utah • A Utah man and a handful of others took matters into their own hands to protect the site of multiple petroglyphs, ancient etchings into rocks made thousands of years ago.
The Daily Herald reports Utah Rock Art Research Association President Steve Acerson, along with a few association volunteers, sat at a popular shooting site during Easter weekend to protect the rock art on Lake Mountain on the west side of Utah Lake.
Shooters were riddling the art with bullet holes to the point the pictures were either broken off or disfigured beyond recognition.
The rock art activists sat in foldable chairs at the site and picked up litter left by shooters.
Acerson says he doesn’t believe most of the shooters damaging the rocks are doing it on purpose.
He estimates the rock art is some of the oldest in the state at 10,000 years old.
sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.
Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.
You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.