Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

•Problem: depreciative behavior•Management Strategies: reducing the impact of use; increase the supply

•Management Practices: information/ education; rules and regulations; law enforcement

•Petrified Forest National Monument - 1906

•Antiquities Act (Theordore Roosevelt)•Designated Petrified Forest National Park (1962)

•Greatly expanded in 2004•More than 200,000 acres•50,000 acres of designated wilderness•Hundreds of species of shortgrass prairie plants and wildlife

•Trees that grew 200 million years ago

Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

•Approximately 600,000 visits annually•Small percentage of visitors (perhaps 1%) elect to take petrified wood from the park

•Tons of petrified wood disappears each year

•Loss of scientific knowledge•Aggressive information/education program

•Minimum fine of $325•Visitors are reminded at the entrance gate not to remove petrified wood

•Visitor center displays, website

Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

•Petrified wood from outside the park is offered for sale at gift shops in the park (Xanterra)

•Legend of bad luck•Trail and road signs•Monitoring program (including cameras)•Check station

Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing

Petrified Forest National Park

Close-up of Petrified Wood

•The Tourist, the Ranger, and the Petrified Forest (5:53)

•Petrification 101 video (13:09)•Park struggles to keep petrified wood from sticky-fingered visitors (Cronkite News)

Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing