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Show SEPTEMBER 1996 GRAND GULCH - STONE AGE GHOST TOWN crew dug down through seven feet of Continued from page 11 meaning of any Anasazi art could be interpreted with confidence. The Utah Museum of Natural History recognizes the significance of Blackburn’s Wetherill-Grand Gulch Project in a current exhibit. “The Landscape Remembers: Reverse Archaeology in Canyon Country” is based largely on the Project’s research. Major eastern museums sent one-of-akind relinked artifacts such as dice ina wooden cup, a_ baby’s rattle, and strings of olivella shell beads , to Utah for the show. turkey droppings without hitting bottom — is getting pounded. “Hikers’ boots are cutting so deeply into the earth there, they are exposing thou—sand-year-old human bones.” As Congress battles over the BLM budget, local rangers are caught short. Blackburn, who was a BLM ranger in the 1970's, has little sympathy for the BLM. “The BLM rangers are maxed. But here’s the important thing: In 1976 PARADISE West touching them. According to Blackburn, the BLM may go the asphalt path route of Mesa . ‘ K. C. MUSCOLINO «ne<- oe N ane only visit a few of the hundreds ruins, with only a of tour artifacts by archaeologists, and are occasionally rebuilt by the Park Service. Visitors should take their freedom — and responsibility — seriously in Grand Gulch, says Blackburn. “The important thing today is that the artifacts remain united with the landscape. The modern visitors’ task is to do their homework to see and appreciate both.” For a permit to visit Grand Gulch, register at the BLM office in Monticello, Utah or at BLM’s Kane Gulch Ranger Station. Large groups, and visitors traveling with horses or pack stock, need advance permission. Since Grand Gulch is a sacred place to native Americans, respectful conduct is required. Don’t touch ruins, art, or artifacts. Rangers ask that when near ruins, locate the Anasazi trash heap if you can, and avoid walking on it. If the site has a trail, stay on it. Camp away from ruins and rock art sites. Pack out your used toilet paper instead of burning it. The BLM requests that you report any suspicious behavior you see. The penalty is $20,000 and/or two years removing art. @ in prison for damaging or ancient artifacts or rock @ DMM @ La Sportiva @ Mammut @ Grivel @ Petzl Lowe Alpine Full selection of books and climbing guides BLUE WATER wor « 4b 2° An even-handed exploration of the issues and con92! % flicts surrounding growth and development in a land eo traditionally known for wide-open spaces and unlimited opportunity. CLIMBING ROPE 10.5mm x 165 foot standard $99.99 ee last! Written by long-time Parkite Raye Ringholz. LA SPORTIVA MADE IN ITALY Enduro Climbing shoes 585. 99 Reg. 109.99 “This book should be read by every county commision, every town and city council in the West, and read soon!” —Bill Riebsame, U. of Colo. University of Utah Press sometimes group. Also, the sites are stripped of @ Edelwiess M@ Climb High sk 4 & ; we Verde National Park. At Mesa Verde, the Park Service built the infrastructure of a small city — restaurants, gift shops, and gas stations — but you can For all your climbing needs, get hold of something solid yen PHOTOGRAPHS BY proboth says f Grand Gulch is managed so that everyone can visit at the same time, it must commit more time and money to “a pot . BY RAYE C. RINGHOLZ would The BLM can manage for recreation and archaeology, Blackburn. “The BLM should limit the number of people going in and focus: on educating visitors. and damaging rock art and artifacts by v ° acre wilderness proposal tect all of Cedar Mesa.” LETA GRIP. PAVED The Challenge of Goris ‘ a clear link between motorized vehicle access and pot hunting. The 5.7 million educating hikers and packers on minimum impact visits. “But what the BLM really wants to do instead is to spend money on a visitor's center.” Worse, he says, the BLM is trying to “kill the messengers” who are critical of the caretaking of Grand Gulch. He says the BLM Grand Gulch is rich in Anasazi artifacts dating back 1,300 years. office in Monticello when I started as a ranger in Cedar effectively banned writer David Mesa, there was a staff of eight for the Roberts from Grand Gulch, and threatarea, and visitation was one-tenth or ened to prosecute him and Blackburn one-twentieth of what it is today. This because of a photograph in April’s year their staff is one six-month temNational Geographic of the two climbporary, and some volunteer help. ing to a ruin. That’s BLM’s priorities. They’re far The Utah congressional delegamore willing to spend money on mantions’ 2.1 million acre wilderness legisaging range for pasture than on lation won't protect the area’s Anasazi resources for recreation.” relics, both Gezon and Blackburn Yet three times more money comes into southagree. That proposal only includes ern Utah from tourism than from cattle Grand Gulch canyon, rim to rim, as grazing, Blackburn argues. wilderness. The mesa tops, home to “In 1976 a plan was written for the oldest and most important ruins, Grand Gulch that would prepare it for would be left unprotected. what has happened in 1996. It wasn’t “Wilderness designation would Grand Gulch at Risk Grand Gulch itself should be a museum, Blackburn contends, leaving all traces of Anasazi life in context and in the canyon. Currently, when visitors find and report intact artifacts, the BLM removes them from Grand Gulch; most are never again seen by the public Blackburn is critical of this policy. “The landscape dictates why a certain artifact is there, and gives it archaeological context as well you When remove artifacts, you can't learn how that artifact relates the rest of the other Anasazi sites in the canyon, or Four Corners region. Each artifact removed is an educational tool lost. “I can show you many cases where artifacts are basically jerked out of the ground in a panic by the BLM using poor archaeology, just to get them out before they're stolen That's a poor research plan. So I won’t report artifacts that I see. I've known of artifacts in the canyon for twenty years that are still there. The stuffs not safe in museums either, I can tell you horror stories about them.” From 1992-94 the number of visitors to Grand Gulch doubled and the BLM now spends its time, often literally, just putting out fires. “Grand Gulch is maxed out with visitors,” says BLM ranger Phil Gezon. For example, Turkey Pen Ruin — a mud and stick corral where Wetherill’s in the New definitely help,” says Gezon. “There is enacted,” Blackburn says. “No question the artifacts are disappearing, but after 20 years, the BLM still doesn’t have a management plan.” Gezon and Blackburn agree that a major problem in Grand Gulch is “innocent vandalism.” Visitors are destroying ruins by walking in them, CANYON (800) 773-6672 PAGE 10 SPORTS LOWE/CAMP Figure 8 Repelling Device 58. ae Reg. 14.99 1844 E. Fort Union 942-3100 |
